Cornell University Cooperative Enterprise Program seeks to enhance the performance of existing cooperative businesses and facilitate the development of emerging cooperative enterprise through teaching, research, and outreach. Program initiatives are aimed primarily at senior management and boards of directors of cooperatives with an emphasis on finance, management, strategic planning, and marketing.  Contact Brian Henehan, 203 Warren Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7801 Telephone: 607-255-8800 Fax: 607-255-9984

Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting and Growing a Business in Pennsylvania is a comprehensive guide to Pennsylvania resources for business start-up.  It also contains useful check-lists for business development.  Published by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, June 2003. The publication is managed by the Center for Entrepreneurial Assistance, 400 North Street, 4^th Floor, Commonwealth Keystone Building, Harrisburg, PA  17120-0225. Or available via the web in a downloadable PDF document; www.newpa.com/default.aspx.   

Keystone Development Center helps develop cooperatives through a network of private, public, and educational entities.  KDC strives to improve rural economic conditions through cooperative development, with priority given to new and emerging groups, cooperatives, and communities. For more information contact Cathy Smith.  Telephone:  814-687-4937.  Email:  smith (at) kdc (dot) coop.  The KDC mailing address is c/o Adams Electric Cooperative, Inc., 200 Trinity Road, York, PA 17404.  Telephone:  717-792-2163. Fax:  717-792-2573

MAAC is formed of 14 cooperatives based in Pennsylvania and Maryland in recognition that cooperative businesses are unique, and that they would individually gain strength by combining efforts to meet their specialized needs and interests.  Mailing Address:  PO Box 552, Shippensburg, PA 17257.  Telephone:  717-530-1209.  Fax:  717-532-9997.  Email information:  info (at) maacooperatives (dot) org.  

Businesses must also file with the Department of Revenue.  Address:  PA Dept. of Revenue, Strawberry Square, Fourth & Walnut Streets, Lobby, Harrisburg, PA 17128-0101.  Telephone:  717-787-1064.  Check the website for district office locations. 

Businesses must file with the PA Department of State’s Corporate Bureau.  For filing information, forms and fees call or check the website.  Address:  206 North Office Bldg., Harrisburg, PA 17120.  Telephone:  717-787-1057.  Fax:  888-659-9962.

A non-profit, member owned electric utility serving south central Pennsylvania.  Headquarters Office is located at 1338 Biglerville Rd., PO Box 1055 Gettysburg, PA 17325-1055.  Telephone:  717-334-2171 or 1-888-232-6732. 

EAIG offers workman's compensation insurance for employees and farm laborers.  Mention your PASA membership.  Address:  EAIG, PO Box 83777, Lancaster, PA 17608-3777.  Telephone:  1-888-654-7100 Ext., 1665.  Fax:  717-399-3781.  Contact: Bill Krug. 

FCCAA offers a variety of educational and training programs.  Food service rentals offers a fully licensed commercial kitchen for rent to the community, producers and processors for value added food production.  Address:   FCCAA, 108 North Beeson Ave., Uniontown, PA 15401.  Telephone:  724-437-6050 or 1-800-427-4636.  Fax:  724-437-4418.  For Food Service Rentals Contact Richard Stull at 724-344-6587. 

PASA is a nonprofit organization working to improve the economic and social prosperity of Pennsylvania food and agriculture. They work with the farmers who grow our food, the consumers that eat the food, and those concerned with the ecological well-being of our environment and natural resources.  Address: 114 West Main Street, P.O. Box 419, Milheim, PA 16854.  Telephone: 814-349-9856. Fax:  814-349-9840.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture administers programs that help producers promote and market agricultural and forest products domestically and internationally.  Address: 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110.  Telephone: 717-787-4737.  Email:  aginfo (at) state.pa (dot) us.

Farm bureau is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization governed by and representing farm and ranch families.  Their mission is to implement policies that are developed by members and provide programs that will improve the financial well-being and quality of life for farmers and ranchers.  Address:  510 South 31^st. Street, PO Box 8736 Camp Hill, PA 17001-8736.  Telephone:  717-761-2740.

PA Farm Link's mission is to create farming opportunities for the next genereation, by offering a database linking service.  The linking service porovides linkages and resources for new and transitioning farmers.  Address:  2301 N. Cameron St., Room 311, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408.  Telephone:  717-705-2121.  Email:  mail (at) pafarmlink (dot) org.

Pennsylvania Farmers Union actively provides technical assistance to groups seeking to form cooperatives to improve farm income.  Address: Box 47, 158 E. Main St., Millville, PA 17846.  Telephone:  717-914-1366.  Email:  pafarmersunion (at) verizon (dot) net.

This cooperative association serves as the unified voice for electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  They provide an excellent on-line and dial-up resource and link for information on electric issues and cooperatives in Pennsylvania.  Address: P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108.  Telephone: 717-233-5704.  Fax:  717-234-1309.  Email:  info (at) prea (dot) com.

PVGA serves PA’s commercial vegetable, potato and berry growers through education, research, advocacy and promotion.  Address:  815 Middle Road, Richfield, PA 17086-9205.  Telephone & Fax:  717-694-3596.  Email:  pvga (at) pvga (dot) org.

The Pennsylvania's Women's Agricultural Network supports women in agriculture by providing a positive learning environment, networking and empowerment.  Contact Linda Moist, Senior Extension Associate.  Address:  Penn State University, 302 Armsby Bldg., University Park, PA 16802.  Telephone:  814-865-7031.  Email:  lsm9 (at) psu (dot) edu.

The mission of the Council is to provide leadership and the framework through which the collective resources of all its partners will be used to identify and address rural need and opportunities.  The Council's vision is to ensure that rural communties have equal access to opportunitites and resourcs and have the capacity to determine their future and sustain a reqarding quality of life.  Address:  613 North Street, Finance Bldg., Room 506, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0400.  Telephone:  717-705-0431.  Fax:  717-705-0354.  Email:  ruralpa (at) state.pa (dot) us.

The FSA administers and manages farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs as laid out by Congress through a network of Federal, State and County offices.  Address:  Pennsylvania State Farm Service Agency, 1 Credit Union Place, Suite 320, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2912.  Telephone:  717-237-2114.  Fax:  717-237-2149.  Call or check the website to locate your county office.

A division of the USDA for food safety regulations and inspection services.  Address:  US Dept. of Agriculture; District 60, Melon Independence Center, 701 Market St., Suite 4100A, Philadelphia, PA 19106.  Telephone:  215-597-4219, Ext. 101 or 1-800-637-6681.  Fax:  215-597-4217 

Pennsylvania USDA--Rural Development conducts a cooperative development program designed to provide technical assistance to rural residents interested in organizing cooperatives or to existing cooperatives seeking to improve operations.  This technical assistance includes needs assessments, strategic planning, business planning, feasibility analysis, board training, along with distributing education materials.  Address:  1 Credit Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996.  Contact Bernard Linn at 717-237-2182 or bernard.linn (at) pa.usda (dot) gov.

Butler County Community Development Corporation is an economic development agency providing business site selection, business financing and technical resource referrals.  Address:  112 Woody Drive, Butler, PA 16001.  Telephone:  724-283-1961.  Toll Free:  1-800-283-0021.  Fax:  724-283-3599.  Email:  commdev (at) natuicom (dot) net

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy with the Pennsylvania General Assembly.  The center also serves PA residents with research grants, disseminating information and sponsoring forums on rural issues and publishing research.  Addresss:  200 North Third St., Suite 600, Harrisburg, PA 17101.  Telephone:  717-787-9555.  Fax:  717-772-3587.  Email:  infor (at) ruralpa (dot) org. 

Provides a drectory of websites of economic devleopment agencies Nationwide and around the world.  Check the website for Pennsylvania listings.

Local Development Districts are regional advocates, catalysts, innovators and promoters of economic growth and the highest quality of life in Pennsylvania.  Counties they serve are in parenthesis.

National Association of Regional Councils provides links to regional councils of government and metropolitan planning organizations.   Listed by state to locate your local office.

Pennsylvania Economic Development Association is an organization of economic and area development professionals, including individuals from local, county and regional economic development organizations throughout the state and economic development consultants.  Address: 908 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102.  Telephone: 717-441-6047.  E-mail: info (at) peda (dot) org

REDDI/Regional Economic Development District Initiatives of South-Central PA is one of eight Economic Development Districts in the Commonwealth of PA.  REDDI targets economic development projects in urban and rural distressed communities.  Address:  REDDI, 1604 North Second Street, 1^st Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17102.  Telephone:  717-920-8450.  Fax:  717-920-8455. 

Rockwell Associates is a financial consulting firm that uses a goal-oriented approach to assist clients with financial planning, investments and insurance; serving PA, MD and DE.  Address:  1521 Concord Pike, Suite 305, Brandywine Plaza West, Wilmington, DE  19803-3644.  Telephone:  302-655-7151.  Email:  methven.barbara (at) pmlmail (dot) com. 

"Counselores to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit organization that provides free and confidential small business advice and training.  SCORE is dedicated to entrepreneurial education and the formation, growth and success of small businesses.  Address:  c/o Chamber of Commerce, HACC Entrepreneurial Programs, 349 Wiconisco St., Suite 237, Harrisburg, PA 17110.  Telephone:  717-213-0435.   Call or check the website for a location near you. 

SBDC’s offer comprehensive assistance to small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance.  Staff will help with accounting, market research, and financial analysis.  Most services are free.  The website is full of useful information that will link you to any of the centershttp://www.pasbdc.org/. Or contact the one nearest you:

PSU offers a variety of academic and outreach programs including agriculture and business programs with the Main Campus serving Central Pennsylvania and satellite campuses across the state.  Address:  Pennsylvania State University, 201 Shields Bldg., Box 3000, University Park 16804-3000.  Telephone:  814-865-5471.  TTY/TTD:  814-863-9419.  Fax:  814-863-7590.

Penn State Cooperative Extension Services provide non-formal outreach educational opportunities to the communities throughout the commonwealth.  Please call or check the website for your county office.

Penn State University/Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program/PennTap:  PennTap supports technology-based economic development by helping PA companies improve competitiveness by providing a limited amount of free technology assistance to help resolve specific technical needs.  Address:  PennTap at Penn State University, 118 Keller Bldg., University Park, PA 16802.  Telephone:  814-865-0427.  Fax:  814-865-3589.  Email:  penntap (at) psu (dot) edu.  

AgChoice Farm Credit is an Agricultural Credit Association with over $898 million dollars in assets.  Through 10 branch offices, they provide financial services to a chartered territoy consisting of fifty-two counties in central, western, and northern Pennsylvania, as well as four coutnies in West Virginia.  Headquarters Address:  900 Bent Creek Blvd., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6922. call 1-800-349-3568 or 717-796-9372 for the office nearest you.

A bank with approximately $25 billion in assets who specializes in cooperative, agribusiness, rural utility, farm credit, and agricultural export financing. Address:  5500 S. Quebec Street, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.  Phone: 303-740-4000 or 800-542-8072.  Fax: 303-740-4002.  In the Northeast; 67 Hunt Street, Suite 3, Agawam, MA 01001.  Telephone: 1-800-876-3227.   

Address:  411 W. Roseville Road, Lancaster, PA 17601 or P.O. Box 7327, Lancaster, PA 17604.  Telephone:  1-800-477-9947. 

A non-profit, member owned electric utility serving south central Pennsylvania.  Headquarters Office is located at 1338 Biglerville Rd., PO Box 1055 Gettysburg, PA 17325-1055.  Telephone:  717-334-2171 or 1-888-232-6732. 

The Artist's Co-op is a cooperative of artists from teh SW PA region.  The co-op offers attractively priced local arts and crafts, including; pottery, oil painting, handmade jewelry, photography, art glass and hand-dyed yarn.  Address:  Washington Trust Bldg., 30 E. Beau St., Washington, PA 15301.  Telephone:  724-229-0365

Chester's Community grocery co-op was formed in response to the community's need to access fresh, quality, healthy produce and groceries.  Address:  PO Box 136, Chester, PA 19016.  Telephone:  610-499-8921.  Email:  info (at) chestercoop (dot) com

East End Food Co-op is an organic and natural foods grocer with an award winning vegetarian cafe. Address: 7516 Meade Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.  Telephone: 412-242-3598.

A member owned purchasing cooperative since 1967.  FPA has grown to become the largest and most profitable purchasing cooperative in the country.  Their mission is to serve the best interests of the member/owners by providing the best combination of price, quality and service.  Address:  226 E. Nittany Ave., State college, PA 16801.  Telephone:  814-237-8800.  Fax:  814-237-8805.  Email:  fpa (at) fpacoop (dot) com. 

KFCA is marketing cooperative in southwestern Pennsylvania that sells locally raised natural beef to area retailers, local residents and restaurants.  Address:  165 Peach Lane, Uniontown, PA 15401.  Telephone:  724-529-2407 or 724-439-0576.

Lancaster Farm Fresh is a cooperative of 15 organic farmers who market and distribute organic produce and naturally raised farm products to the Lancaster and greater Philadelphia area.  Address:  48 Eagle Drive, Leola, PA 17540.  Telephone:  717-656-3533.  Fax:  800-996-0383. 

A marketing cooperative that is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and sells locally raised natural meats to colleges, local residents and restaurants in north-central Pennsylvania.  Address:  c/o Milky Way Farms, RR 1, Box 24, Troy, PA 16947.  Contact:  Kim Seeley.  Telephone:  570-673-5651. 

NWPA is a producer owned marketing cooperative that markets organic and naturally grown produce, meats, eggs and honey year round through farmers markets, restaurants, a CSA and an online winter market buying club.  Address:  141 Porter Rd., Harrisville, PA 16038.  Telephone:  724-735-4054. 

An export and domestic marketing cooperative that sells value added specialty foods.  Address:  c/o Bell Export Foods Group, 108 E. Erickson Ave., Essington, PA 19029.  Telephone:  484-494-9191.  Email:  ron (at) bellexport (dot) com.

PCFA is an agricultural marketing cooperative in western Pennsylvania that sells to restaurants in the Pittsburgh area and to CSA clients.  Address:  PO Box 160, Shelocta, PA 15774.  Telephone:  412-363-1971.  Fax:  412-212-1154.

PIPP is a cooperative of turykey farmers in South Central PA and North Central MD who are working together to establish greater economic potenital and security for turkey produciton and processing.  Telephone:  717-834-4052.  Email:  info (at) pipp (dot) coop.

This cooperative association serves as the unified voice for electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  They provide an excellent on-line and dial-up resource and link for information on electric issues and cooperatives in Pennsylvania.  Address: P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108.  Telephone: 717-233-5704.  Fax:  717-234-1309.  Email:  info (at) prea (dot) com.

TOG is a family farm marketing cooperative since 1988.  The co-op consists of 25 producers that sell over 50,000 cases of local grown organic produce from farm to city, all year.  Address:  22275 Anderson Hollow Rd., Hustontown, PA 17229.  Telephone:  814-448-2173.  Fax:  814-448-2333.  Email:  info (at) tog (dot) coop.