Montana Cooperative Development Center Receives $300,000 Rural Cooperative Development Grant

Partnerships. That’s what Tim Ryan says secured a federal grant for the annual operation of the Montana Cooperative Development Center http://www.mcdc.coop/index.html .

Ryan is Montana director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. His sentiment mirrors the newly retooled motto for the center.

"We are building together what would be impossible to build alone," MCDC Director Cheryl MacArthur said Thursday during a ceremony staged to accept a $300,000 Rural Cooperative Development grant.

Cooperatives are made up of members that together own a business and divide profits.

MCDC offers a spectrum of technical assistance, everything from project planning to operating strategies, to support such ventures.

"The model is used for everything from retail food stores to businesses that add value to our agricultural products, such as bio diesel plants," MacArthur said.

By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune Staff Writer

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