Rural Missouri - January 2012 - (Page 4)

C O M M E N T S Co-ops build a better world “Devoted to the rural way of life” January 2012 Volume 64 / Number 1 Jim McCarty, editor jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop Jason Jenkins, managing editor jjenkins@ruralmissouri.coop Heather Berry, associate editor hberry@ruralmissouri.coop Kyle Spradley, field editor kspradley@ruralmissouri.coop Megan Schibi, editorial assistant mschibi@ruralmissouri.coop Mary Davis, production manager mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop Angie Jones Dusty Weter Co-op page designers E 2012 designated International Year of Cooperatives member-driven policies, with co-op leaders elected by members. “As a member, you have a voice in how your cooperative operates. That keeps the co-op’s focus on you and how best to meet your needs,” notes Hart. The innovative practices of co-ops provide consumer-focused solutions that can adapt quickly to change. Unlike competitive, profit-driven businesses, co-ops cooperate with each other to fashion programs that improve service. For example, food co-ops introduced food nutrition labels long before they were federally required in 1994. Credit unions fought the predatory practices of payday lenders by introducing salary advance loans that double as savings accounts. Electric cooperatives help each other during major outages. In Missouri, an emergency assistance program sends workers, equipment and material from cooperatives out of harm’s way to systems in need of help. Electric cooperatives are leaders in the cooperative movement, delivering power and light to 42 million consumers in 47 states covering more than 75 percent of the nation’s landmass. For 75 years, electric cooperatives founded by members themselves have brought power to all parts of the rural landscape. Working together, more than 300 U.S. electric cooperatives also have helped deliver the benefits of safe and reliable electric service to people in more than 40 countries. “Building a better world takes experience, and no group has more experience in bringing low-cost power to remote areas than electric co-ops,” explains Hart. You can find out more about the International Year of Cooperatives at www.2012.coop. lectric cooperatives and other members of the co-op family take center stage globally in 2012, designated the International Year of Cooperatives. The International Year of Cooperatives’ theme, “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World,” resonates with co-ops in the electric, banking, food, retail, housing and marketing arenas. “We’re surrounded by a diverse mix of cooperatives,” states Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the national service organization for electric cooperatives. “No matter what kind of co-op you belong to, two things are clear: We put people first, and we are innovators. By getting neighbors and communities to work together, co-op members build a better world.” Cooperatives are a global network of independent, local businesses owned by those they serve. “We share a common set of business principles and values such as self-help and democracy,” explains Barry Hart, CEO of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. “Each co-op exists to meet the needs of its members.” According to the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), more than 29,200 cooperatives nationally employ 2 million Americans. One in every four Americans is a co-op member, but the scope of the cooperative network doesn’t stop at the border. “Co-ops are a major economic force in industrialized countries and provide a powerful business model for developing nations,” says Paul Hazen, NCBA president and CEO. More than 1 billion co-op members exist worldwide, and co-ops generate 100 million jobs globally. Cooperatives strive for sustainable development of communities through USPS 473-000 ISSN 0164-8578 Copyright 2012, Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. Call for reprint rights. Rural Missouri is published monthly by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. Barry Hart, executive vice president. Individual subscription rate: $9 per year or $21 for three years, taxes and postage included. Group rate for members of participating RECs $3.99, taxes and postage included. Delivery as specified by subscriber. If not specified, delivery will be by periodical class mail at subscriber’s expense. Periodical Class postage paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing offices. New officers will lead AMEC in 2012 www.ruralmissouri.coop Find us on www.facebook.com/ruralmissouri Postmasters: Send address changes to Rural Missouri, P.O. Box 1645, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Subscribers: Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to Rural Missouri. Advertising standards: Advertising published in Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and sold to customers at the advertised price. Rural Missouri and Missouri’s electric cooperatives do not endorse any products or services advertised herein. Advertising that does not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading is never knowingly accepted by this publication. Advertising information: mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop 573-659-3400 National Advertising Representative: National Country Market; 611 S. Congress St., Suite 504; Austin, TX 78704 573-659-3400 P.O. Box 1645 Jefferson City, MO 65102 573-659-3423 info@ruralmissouri.coop Rural Missouri New officers will lead the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives in 2012. They are, from left: CEO Barry Hart; President Tom Steska, Black River Electric Cooperative, Fredericktown; Secretary/Treasurer Tom Werdenhause, Three Rivers Electric Cooperative, Linn; and Vice President Larry Clark, Lewis County Rural Electric Cooperative, Lewistown. Member, Missouri Association of Publications and Missouri Press Association 4 WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://www.2012.coop http://www.2012.coop http://www.ruralmissouri.coop http://www.facebook.com/ruralmissouri http://www.facebook.com/ruralmissouri http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - January 2012

Rural Missouri - January 2012
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Superior steel
Facing ‘extreme men’
Return to the prairie
Outdoors
Out of the Way Eats
Missouri snapshots
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
Woven in tradition
Marketplace
Around Missouri
The Nimblewill Nomad
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - January 2012