|
MS Center
Background
Established in June 1997, the Mississippi
Association of Cooperatives’ Center for Cooperative Development [the Center] is supported by six partner organizations: the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC); Alcorn State University’s
Extension Service and Small Farm Development Center; the Mississippi State University Cooperative Extension Service; and the
Mississippi Development Authority’s Energy Division. The Center is unique in having both 1862 and 1890 land grant universities
as partner organizations. All partner organizations recognized the need for a new entity to coordinate technical assistance
for and focus resources on cooperative development in rural Mississippi.
The Center, through its projects and with its partners,
provides rural communities with options and tools for expanding, creating, diversifying, and strengthening cooperatives throughout
rural Mississippi. The Center is unique in its mission, its coordination with
other rural development organizations, and its focus on cooperative development in limited-resource communities. The Center is one of two centers in the country to focus virtually 100 percent of its resources on providing
opportunities in minority and limited-resource communities.
Mission
The Mission statement adopted by partners focuses on the essence of the Mississippi
Center:
To use cooperative development as a strategy
to enhance the quality of life and economic opportunties for rural Mississippi residents.
Goals
The goals of this project are complementary
and supportive of the overall goals of the Center. The Mississippi Center for
Cooperative Development, together with its implementing partners, will:
¨
Provide early-stage technical assistance and training to individuals and groups considering cooperatives
based on need.
¨
Provide development assistance to groups actively working to launch new cooperatives.
¨
Provide on-going post-launch technical assistance and support to new and emerging cooperatives. Actively work to build staff and center capacity through participation in programs such as Cooperation Works!, and client capacity for successful cooperative development
through programs such as the rural credit union program and our annual Small Farmers, Women in Business and Marketing Conference.
Upcoming Event
-
Know your rights and get top $ - Sponsored by MS Center and Wood Works! – November
4, 2004
-
Limited space
-
Who should attend: Persons interested
in packaging loan applications
- Sponsors: MS Center for
Cooperative
|
