Cooperatives are often the most viable business format for our clients, which include small to mid-scale and/or resource-limited family farmers and ranchers and other rural entrepreneurs, many of whom reside in especially remote areas. For over 20 years, the RMFU Cooperative Development Center has helped rural cooperatives and other entities achieve better economies of scale, create and retain jobs, and build wealth for rural residents and their communities. Our focus on cooperatives is deeply rooted in the Farmers Union philosophy. We believe cooperatives are often the best, fairest, and most flexible, democratic, and time-tested model to
1. Establish and strengthen rural producer-based businesses and local food systems, and
2. Reinvigorate rural communities
