Just a few weeks away from clicking the ol’ age counter up to 67. The other night I was sitting at home pondering over things and suddenly realized I’ve spent over half my life in Ogle County. Not too shabby for a kid who grew up in central Illinois and tended to migrate more to the south growing up.

I must admit when I traveled this direction in ’86 I did ask myself, “I wonder what the winters are like up there?” But, as they say you get wiser with age; so it didn’t take long to learn you just put on an extra sweatshirt and buy a better snow shovel, and you’ll be fine.

My goal is to keep my teeth out of a jar before I retire. Wish me luck.

The Ogle County Farm Bureau has announced that they will host their Annual Member Meeting on Sept. 5 at St. Mary’s Community Center in Oregon.

The meeting marks the 107th anniversary for the Ogle County Farm Bureau, which was started in 1917.

Ogle County Farm Bureau members and their families are invited to attend the Sept. 5 meeting and participate in the dinner and business meeting of the organization.

The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a roast beef dinner. Following dinner, Ogle County Farm Bureau President Keith Poole will convene the annual business meeting of the members. During the business session members will elect directors for the Farm Bureau organization, receive committee and board reports and conduct business as scheduled prior to the meeting.

Evan Hultine, Illinois Farm Bureau vice president, will be the featured speaker.

Tickets for the annual meeting must be purchased in advance for $5 each. Tickets can be obtained from the Ogle County Farm Bureau office, in Oregon, or from directors of the organization.

For more information on the meeting or on obtaining tickets contact me at the Ogle County Farm Bureau at 732-2231.

Cooperatives

The cooperative business model has been pivotal in the development and stability of the U.S. agricultural industry. Cooperatives provide a platform for farmers to pool resources, preserve market access, share risk and enjoy economies of scale, which is important to maintaining leverage and bargaining power.

A cooperative a business entity owned and controlled by its members, who both patronize the firm and express formal ownership of the assets of the firm through management rights and the right to the firm’s earnings. Management rights are often provided in the form of democratic voting rights, by a one-member, one-vote rule or based on the level a member-owner utilizes the products or services offered by the cooperative business.

The right to any leftover earnings (called residual earnings) in a cooperative depends on two main factors: how much money members are required to invest (capital equity requirements) and how much they use the cooperative’s services. The capital invested by members helps pay for business development and infrastructure costs, which are essential for running the cooperative. Based on these factors, the cooperative can distribute its net earnings to members in two ways. The most commonly used method is patronage refunds, which are based on how much each member uses the cooperative. The second method is dividends, which are based on how much money each member has invested. The ultimate goal of a cooperative business is to further the collective economic well-being of its member-owners.

Agricultural cooperatives can be broadly categorized into several types based on their functions and services:

Marketing Cooperatives: These cooperatives assist farmers in processing, packaging and selling their products. By pooling the goods they produce, farmers can access larger markets and negotiate better prices. Examples include dairy cooperatives like Land O'Lakes, Ocean Spray and Sunkist Growers and nut cooperatives like Blue Diamond Growers.

Supply Cooperatives: Supply cooperatives provide farmers with essential inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and equipment. By purchasing in bulk, these cooperatives can offer inputs at lower prices. An example is Southern States Cooperative or Growmark which supplies agricultural inputs to farmers.

Service Cooperatives: These cooperatives offer various services to farmers, including transportation, storage and financial services. Cooperative banks and credit unions specifically serve the financial needs of farmers, providing loans and credit at favorable terms. The Farm Credit system functions as a service cooperative in this manner. Supply cooperatives like CHS and Growmark also offer marketing services for members, which places them under multiple categories.

The latest data from USDA's annual survey of the nation's agricultural cooperatives is for fiscal year 2022. According to the survey, there were 1,671 agricultural cooperatives in 2022, a decrease from 1,699 in 2021 — a reduction of 28 cooperatives (1.6%). USDA attributes this decline primarily to mergers aimed at achieving greater economies of scale and expanding regional reach. Over the past decade, the number of agricultural cooperatives has dropped by 23.6%. Minnesota ranked first in terms of number of agricultural co-ops doing business in the state in 2022 (182 co-ops), followed by Texas (161) and North Dakota (129). In Illinois we have 106 cooperatives.

The database shows the longevity of the remaining agricultural cooperatives: 391, or 23.4% of all agricultural cooperatives, are 100 or more years old. 64 percent (903 co-ops) are 75 years or older and 77.3% are more than 50 years old.

A testament to a service that has served agriculture in the past and into the future.

“You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think.” -Milton Berle

Ron Kern is the manager of the Ogle County Farm Bureau.