If you’ve ever sipped Florida’s Natural orange juice, buttered a dinner roll with Land O’Lakes, or spread Welch’s grape jelly on a peanut-butter sandwich then you’ve done business with a farm co-op.
Those are just three of the most recognized co-ops in the United States—not necessarily the biggest, but among the best known. They’re also great illustrations of how cooperative associations here and around the world help farmers grow the food that everyone needs, especially as we approach the International Day of Cooperatives on Saturday, July 1.
Most agricultural co-ops aren’t as familiar as these brand-name behemoths. Instead, they’re often invisible to consumers, even as they keep grocery prices in check by letting farmers like me stay economically sustainable. Here in rural Iowa, I work with a co-op that helps me buy crop inputs and bring to market what I grow.
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