Nebraska Cooperative Development Center

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Nebraska Cooperative Development Center

• 217 H.C. Filley Hall
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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AECN 376April 5,2004

• David Colvin Brent Schlake
• Brent Hopkins Eric Wendelin
• Kori Kock
• Presented to Bruce Johnson in fulfillment of Team
  Project 1

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"Turning your idea into a profitable reality"

• Sparks of imagination! Creative ways to make
  profit and quality products are quickly becoming
  a reality across the landscape of Nebraska. They
  start with an idea and the determination to see
  it develop. The Nebraska Cooperative Development
  Center helps these ideas become reality.

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Mission

• The Nebraska Cooperative Development Center
  (NCDC) is a network of people with access to
  local, state and national resources, dedicated to
  keeping people in rural areas by helping them
  work together to increase their income, and to
  help facilitate value-added agricultural
  opportunities.

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Goals/Objectives

• To create and/or expand successful group
  efforts, including cooperatives, that promote
  value-added agriculture and related types of
  entrepreneurship.
• To increase cooperation and sharing among
  producers, especially those who are interested in
  exploring the possibility of transitioning to a
  new type of agriculture. 

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Goals Continued

• To provide customized and continuous service to
  producer groups throughout the life of relevant
  projects. 
• To facilitate and support favorable public
  policy by increasing the awareness of rural
  people's needs and the role of cooperative
  development. 

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Implementation History

• The NCDC helps facilitate the formation of new
  ventures by providing information, organizational
  assistance, and technical assistance to new
  groups. The NCDCs First Responders Network is a
  group of certified individuals from multiple
  agencies, serving all areas of the state, who
  have committed part of their time to assist
  groups that are interested in starting new
  businesses. The primary role of the First
  Responder is to provide general support and
  facilitation to groups. First Responders are very
  knowledgeable about the full range of technical
  assistance resources available and how these
  resources can be accessed on behalf of groups.
  This network has become an essential link between
  local groups and the vital resources available
  from local, state, and federal partners.

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Significance to Rural Communities

• Local Buying
• Increase economic and social opportunities with
  Value-Added Ventures
• Creation of Markets that create job opportunity

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Examples of Effectiveness Turning your idea
into a profitable reality."

• In Kimball several producers developed a hay
  marketing cooperative that markets high quality
  alfalfa.

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• In the Sandhills, ranchers are stocking ponds
  with yellow perch and forming a fish-producer
  cooperative.
• Dairymen and ranchers near Callaway are working
  together to experiment with seasonal grass
  dairies as a way of using forage to increase
  profitability.
• A group of pork producers in southeast Nebraska
  have formed a cooperative to market pork meat
  products directly to consumers.

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Related Links

• Nebraska Cooperative Development Center
  http//ncdc.unl.edu
• Center for Rural Affairs http//www.cfra.org
• Nebraska Department of Agriculture
  http//www.agr.state.ne.us

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More Links

• Nebraska Center for Applied Rural Innovation
  http//cari.unl.edu
• Nebraska AgRelations Council www.state.ne.us/home/
  NARC/index.htm
• Nebraska Department of Economic Development
  http//www.neded.org