CO-OPS TAKE CENTER STAGE

    Area residents and visitors gathered last week for the inaugural Co-op Day, an event designed to spotlight the work, values, and community impact of local cooperatives. Organized by Venture Communications board member Austin Sasker, the gathering featured several speakers, round-table discussions, and an emphasis on the cooperative principles that shape rural communities. 
    The event opened with an invocation from Pastor Jesse Carson of First Lutheran Parish in Britton. Carson reflected on the cooperative spirit that brought people together, saying the event formed a “co-op of co-ops.” With a smile, he added that “Jesus had a few co-ops of his own” before offering a prayer for a productive and meaningful day.
    Jay Kruse, CEO of Norstar Federal Credit Union, outlined the seven cooperative principles: voluntary membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education and training, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community. He emphasized the connection between a cooperative’s health and the community it serves. “A strong credit union equals a strong community,” Kruse said. “We appreciate the trust and value in your products.” 
    Philip Deal, CEO of Wheaton Dumont Cooperative, shared the organization’s long history, beginning in 1905 and reorganizing into its current identity in 1981. Today, Wheaton Dumont includes 10 Minnesota locations, four in North Dakota, and five in South Dakota. Britton joined the cooperative in 2010, but only after major work to rehabilitate the local rail line. Deal detailed the cooperative’s broad services, including grain handling, agronomy, fertilizer, crop protection, and seed, and noted that they serve 1,200 active members. The co-op currently holds $96.3 million in equity, $35.9 million in working capital. Their donation program has totaled $87,000, which doubled through matching funds. Deal also expressed concern over declining member engagement, saying it is becoming more difficult to sustain participation and involvement in governance. “Our biggest responsibility is to be financially healthy for our members and therefore our communities,” he said.
    Venture Communications CEO Fay Jandreau discussed how the 1951 blizzard, which destroyed rural telephone service, sparked the effort that formed the cooperative in 1952. Today Venture serves nearly 10,000 square miles across South Dakota and parts of North Dakota, supported by 8,500 miles of cable and over 13,000 members. Jandreau said the board—including Britton member Austin Sasker—always considers how decisions will affect future generations. “It’s not just what we solve today,” she said. “How will it sustain for the next generation?” She also touched on emerging topics like the state’s Connect SD initiative and Venture’s Uview+ streaming service, emphasizing that “our programming fits our customers” and is designed to meet the needs of their rural base.
    Joe Gustafson, Britton Agronomy Location Manager for Full Circle Ag, shared the cooperative’s roots dating back to 1936, during the Great Depression, when local farmers formed their own supply network. The co-op later became 4 Seasons in 2000 before evolving into Full Circle Ag. Today it offers fertilizer, seed, chemicals, biologicals, plumbing parts, feed, fencing supplies, and energy services. Gustafson spoke about the increasing role of technology, including field data systems and the Answer Plot program, which allows Full Circle to test products before recommending them. He also highlighted an $8 million fertilizer plant under construction in Hecla, which will create redundancy in the system and further invest in the community. “Co-ops work for the betterment of the growers,” he said. “When the growers succeed, the coop succeeds.”
    As the event concluded, Sasker expressed gratitude to those who helped make the day possible. Planning is already underway for next year, and Sasker hopes area youth will be involved. “We hope to involve more students from the Langford and Britton-Hecla schools, as those kids are the future of our local co-ops,” he said. “Co-ops are very much needed in our rural communities, and we’re lucky to have a good handful of them in our area.”