NCBA CLUSA, the Cooperative Development Foundation and local partners Montana Cooperative Development Center, Native American Development Corporation, North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, South Dakota Value-Added Agriculture Development Center and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union will host a regional cooperative policy roundtable in Billings, Montana in August.

The August 28 event will spur discussion around creating an enabling policy environment for cooperative development.

With 65,000 cooperative establishments and a total membership of more than 115 million people, co-ops are a powerful part of the U.S. economy. And while cooperatives contribute to the creation of healthy, sustainable and equitable communities, policies at the national, state and local level can hinder their growth and development.

This one-day roundtable discussion is an opportunity to connect with local leaders and cooperative business and development experts to identify and articulate the most significant strategic national, state and local policies, financing mechanisms and other systems and structures that support or impede cooperative development. See the schedule.

If you’d like to attend the Billings, Montana roundtable, send an email to Jan Brown, Executive Director of the Montana Cooperative Development Center.