Cooperatives create robust, sustainable communities by meeting the economic needs of their member-owners and keeping profits local. They fill market gaps in the economy and are a particularly resilient and flexible type of business. Cooperative members own, use, and control their business democratically and can respond flexibly to the ups and downs of the business cycle.

USDA Cooperative services fosters cooperative development with educational services.

The USDA’s Rural Cooperatives magazine is no longer in print but back issues found online offer a wealth of information.

This 205 page background and discussion by James Baarda of the USDA, Current Issues in Cooperative Finance and Government, addresses many of the challenges cooperatives face.