Gov. Tony Evers has declared October 2024 as ‘Co-op Month’ in Wisconsin. This is an annual recognition of the cooperative movement designed to build strong communities.
“Minnesota and Wisconsin have proud cooperative heritages, and we greatly appreciate the governors
signing proclamations recognizing the major impacts cooperatives have in their states,” says Cooperative
Network President and CEO Dan Smith.
Cooperative Network works on behalf of cooperatives large and small from a dozen business sectors: farm production, farm supply, grain marketing, ethanol production, dairy marketing and processing, financial services, livestock genetics, meat processing, mutual insurance, telecommunications, and electrical power and distribution.
“All of these cooperative sectors play an essential role in the economic well-being of the communities in which they are located,” Smith says.
Under the theme “The Future is Cooperative,” this year’s Co-op Month is a chance to envision a cooperative future.
With the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives on the horizon, now is the time to lift up the people-centered businesses at the heart of thousands of communities and economies, many of which are located in rural America, Smith adds.
Wisconsin is home to about 800 cooperatives. Wisconsin and Minnesota (home of 1,000 cooperatives) have the highest concentration of cooperatives in the nation.
