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Four new co-op projects to be added in Montana

The Montana Cooperative Development Center is helping develop four value-added co-op projects through its tech assistance network, the group’s directors were told Thursday.

Craig Erickson of the Bear Paw Development Corp. said the MCDC projects include a grant-writers cooperative; an artisans cooperative in Havre; Peaks & Valleys LLC, which produces bio-based oils in Malta; and the carrot growers co-op, spearheaded by the Riverview Hutterite Colony.

By ERIC NEWHOUSE
Tribune Projects Editor

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040903/localnews/1170154.html

He noted that his budget is $25,000, which is paid equally by Bear Paw and by MCDC.

"For that investment, we could have 35 jobs and $1.7 million in salaries and gross sales if everything works out right," he told the board.

MCDC interim director Cheryl MacArthur also outlined a series of new cooperatives that MCDC is assisting.

# Montana-Bred Beef, which would process some of the state’s 1.5 million calves annually;

# The Kootenai River Broadband Co-op, which is seeking to bring fiberoptics into Libby;

# The Yellowstone Concessionaire Co-op, which seeks to promote winter tourism in the park;

# The Fitness Co-op in Conrad, which is trying to buy a closed gym and its equipment;

# The Conrad Community Clothing Co-op;

# Got Socks? Co-op in Colstrip;

# Yellowstone Recycling in Glendive;

# And the Yellowstone Onion Growers LLC.

She told the directors that MCDC operates on a $65,000 annual grant from the state, which it uses as matching funds to leverage additional federal funding.

The agency is waiting to hear whether it will receive a $300,000 federal grant, she said.

Later in the meeting, MCDC directors expressed concern that high BNSF rail transportation rates and threats to rail spur linies could hold back rural development.

"For these value-added co-ops to work," we have to have a transportation network," Fort Benton Mayor Rick Morris said.

"What good will value-added co-ops do if all that money goes to transportation?" added state Rep. John Witt, R-Carter.

Greg Jergeson, a former state senator and current member of the Montana Public Service Commission said BNSF needs to "partner up" on some of these business investment.

"Otherwise, you’re just walking away with those rate profits," Jergeson said.

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