Updates

Pennsylvania Farm Bill

4/25/2019

Gov. Tom Wolf joined Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding to unveil the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, a historic proposal to provide support for and continued investments in the commonwealth’s agriculture industry. The proposal, which has already gained bipartisan support, was modeled after the governor’s six-point plan to cultivate future generations of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry.

KDC's Peggy Forgarty helped to raise awareness to this issue, and made various phone calls to gain support for the removal of the required yearly audit requirement. All of us at KDC would like to applaud Governor Wolf for backing the deregulation of requiring cooperatives to preform a yearly audit. Audits are costly, and can cause a business to fail before it is even started. Living in such a rich agricultural area, this can heavily affect local businesses surrounding our home office.

“Pennsylvania has a long, proud history of agriculture, and this comprehensive package of funding opportunities and resources will help expand this important industry,” said Gov. Wolf. “The Pennsylvania Farm Bill allocates $24 million in additional funding to chart a real path for a dynamic and prosperous farming economy in Pennsylvania. It’s about providing more opportunities to our farmers by creating more jobs, more income and more hope.”

"I am so excited to announce that Governor Wolf and the Ag Committee Charis announced yesterday a new PA Farm Bill. I just got off a phone call with Cheryl Cook. It is still being hammered out, but it includes removing the restrictive language on the Ag Co-op audit requirements." -an email sent from ED Peggy Fogarty to her team.

Want to learn more about the PA Farm Bill? Visit: https://www.morningagclips.com/wolf-unveils-funding-plan-for-pa-agriculture/

KDC/NCBA Policy Roundtable Event!

4/25/2019

Keystone Development Center and National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International/Cooperative Development Foundation co-hosted the first EVER MidAtlantic Co-operative Policy Roundtable in Harrisburg, PA at the PA Rural Electric Association on April 1st.
Attendees were some of the leading cooperators in our region, representing a diverse set of cooperative sectors from Ag to housing, and worker to urban! Equally impressive was the representation from state and federal public officials.
Cooperatively and collaboratively, they all participated in dynamic conversations around what co-ops need to thrive and become and remain sustainable, and what barriers prevent that from happening!
We would like to thank the following public officials for sending members from their office to attend:
U.S. Senator Bob Casey
U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan
Thank you to KDC's first Executive Director, Cheryl Cook who is the current Deputy Secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture! Your engagement was invaluable!
Thank you all for attending!
#GoCoop #MidAtlanticSTRONG
U.S. Small Business Administration
Center for Dairy Excellence
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Cooperative Development Foundation
Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif)
US Federation of Worker Cooperatives
Ujamaa Collective
Urban Institute
Mariposa Food Co-op
Ardent Credit Union
Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance
And More

KDC Presenting in PASA's 2019 Convention

1/17/2019

KDC will be presenting at PASA’s 2019 Sustainable Agriculture Conference, which is taking place February 6–9th in Lancaster, PA.

Here is our workshop description:
KDC will be presenting Thursday February 7th 9:00AM to 12:00PM.

The Cooperative Advantage – Legal, Financial, and Organizational Strategies
Farmers face challenges aggregating, processing, marketing and distributing products. Cooperatives leverage the energy and resources to serve a mutual need. Cooperatives, owned and operated by the people who use their services, help farmers improve marketing power and control over business decisions. Learn cooperative business strategies to attain success including Legal – bylaws/policies; Financial – accounting/equity building, and Organizational - board development governance and leadership.

Presenters: Peggy Fogarty, Executive Director, KDC *Kurtis Groff, CPA, Simon Lever* Lori Burge, Cooperative Development Consultant, KDC.

In addition to our workshop you will have the opportunity to connect Peggy, Kurtis, Lori, and our new Membership Director, Stephen McDow. Stephen will also be in attendance at the conference and sharing a sneak preview of our soon-to-be launched membership program. If you would like to schedule a meeting with a member of our team while you are in town for the conference, let us know.

We hope you’ll consider joining us at PASA’s conference this year! In addition to our workshop, you’ll find more than 160 other workshops on a diverse array of food and farming topics, an expansive trade show, and social and networking events. You can find the full conference schedule here, and can register here. Pre-register by January 29th and save $25 per day!

We look forward to seeing you next month!

Peggy Fogarty

Lori Burge

Stephen McDow

Kurtis Groff

KDC Brings on Two New Employees in 2019!

1/8/2019

Director of Membership

Keystone Development Center is pleased to announce the addition of Stephen R. McDow II as Director of Membership. (Stay tuned to as we roll out KDC's new membership program!)
McDow brings to the position over eight years of outreach and marketing experience. He is a cooperator, has a servant’s heart and has dedicated his life to bringing together rural and urban America for the purposes of achieving an inclusive economy. Previously, McDow managed membership and stakeholder relations for National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA). During his tenure, he turned around a 5-year decline in membership and recruited 20 times the amount of members year-over-year - The largest recruitment over a 5-year period. McDow and his senior leadership helped set a foundation for growth for years to come.
Prior to NCBA CLUSA, he handled membership outreach and retention for the Montgomery County Medical Society (MCMS) and MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, with a primary focus on the development and execution of strategic and tactical engagement plans.

Before joining MCMS and MedChi, McDow worked on the Ward 4 City Council campaign of Dr. Edwin Powell in Washington, D.C., offering critical assistance to Powell in the development and execution of his community engagement strategy in order to promote his legislative agenda. Additionally, McDow was a key asset in the development and promotion of the campaign’s character development ballot initiative.
While serving as a committee board member at Open Table – Massachusetts, McDow led strategies that modernized the look and feel of the organization, and implemented a social media and outreach plan that continues to make a lasting impact.

Stephen and his wife, Rebecca, have been married for 15 years. Rebecca is an Army veteran currently working at the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission within the Department of Justice. The couple has two brilliant, charming, rambunctious and handsome boys they are raising in a small rural Maryland community. The McDow’s enjoy spending time as a family—traveling, eating food from around the world, and wine tasting.

Office Manager
The second employee joining KDC's growing team is Kaitlyn Moyer. She is a recent graduate of Millersville University where she majored in International Business with a minor in marketing. She is very eager to learn the business culture of cooperative development.

A typical work day for Kaitlyn includes talking to clients and consultants, managing KDC's social media presence, handling financial documents, creating invoices and essentially being the face of KDC. Any questions or concerns are generally filtered through Kaitlyn.

In her spare time Kaitlyn enjoy's to travel around the world, hanging out with her friends, attending bikram yoga classes and spending time with her two Bichons, Sofia and Daisy. She plans to go back for a graduate degree in business administration (MBA) in the fall of 2019. Welcome to the team Kaitlyn!

KDC awarded USDA Rural Development Grants!

12/19/2018

KDC AND TWO LOCAL CO-OPS AWARDED 2018 USDA GRANTS
USDA Rural Development offers grants that support projects improving rural economies, by bringing jobs, housing, community facilities, business guarantees, utilities and other services to rural America. This year, the US Department of Agriculture has awarded Keystone Development Center and two local cooperatives Rural Development Grants for work to be completed in 2019.

KEYSTONE DEVELOPMENT CENTER – $200,000
Keystone Development Center was awarded a $200,000 Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) for 2019. KDC’s 2019 RCDG Grant will substantially offset operating and overhead costs and enable KDC to deliver discounted or probono services to over 20 rural cooperatives including: Capital Area Farmers Alliance (start-up producer co-op), Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance (existing producer co-op), Early Bird Farmers Co-op (recently formed producer co-op), a broadband project in rural Maryland, among others.

The nonprofit development center was formed in 1999. Over the life of KDC, the USDA has provided 16 RCDG Grants totaling over $3.4 Million. These funds have been put to work by the Center to develop and advance over 156 cooperatives businesses owned by groups such as agricultural producers, retail consumers, workers, businesses needing shared services, and others. The Center targets work in distressed communities across a four-state service area spanning Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington DC. KDC’s o-op development efforts have helped communities come together to create and sustain jobs, increase incomes, and support long-term positive economic impacts. KDC’s client roster serves over 44K members, generates over $119M in gross revenues and, employ nearly 600 people, and sustains the lives of hundreds more.

CO-OPERATIVE FARMERS MARKET – $10,000
The Co-Operative Farmers Market traces its roots back to 1939 when to a group of farmers sought to address overcrowding at the once popular Mifflin Avenue Curb Market. The farmers formed the co-op to operate a member-owned, "producer-only" seasonal Farmers Markets in Scranton, PA. Today thousands of patrons visit the co-op which is open three days each week from July through the end of November. The co-op supports offers a wide variety of local, farm fresh, high quality, products directly to consumers at affordable prices. It is the only farmer-owned, open-air seasonal market of its kind in Northern Pennsylvania. The co-op is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors, which consists of seven producer-members including a seat for the President of the Women’s Auxiliary. Membership consists of many 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th generation farmers, including many involved in the original formation of the co-op. The co-op was awarded a $10,000 Value Added Producers Grant to advance marketing of the co-op.

SEDA-COG NATURAL GAS COOPERATIVE – $80,000
SEDA-COG Natural Gas Cooperative formed in 2006 to promote and provide natural gas service to unserved and underserved customers in central Pennsylvania. The co-ops is owned by counties, towns, groups of businesses, and residential neighborhoods rather than individual consumers. Their mission is to do this in an environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner to promote economic growth and cost savings. Counties or other municipal or business groups join the cooperative to extend access to the services provided by the cooperative to residential and business members of their communities. At present the co-op has six-member counties (Centre, Clinton, Juniata, Mifflin, Northumberland, and Perry) but they are open to growing their membership base to expand service. The co-op is governed by a board of directors elected from leaders within their member counties and managed by an executive director. The co-op was awarded an $80,000 Rural Business Development Grant to build a virtual pipeline.

Clams 101: Writing the Clam's Next Chapter in New Jersey

12/19/2018

Featuring over 10 different articles all related to clams in New Jersey, it is safe to say all of your questions regarding clamming should be answered with this read!

Did you know that clams are not nationally regulated? So sizes may vary slightly by municipality.

To better understand New Jersey's aquaculture explore the link posted below!

ediblejersey.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/writing-clams-next-chapter

"Cultivating Relationships Helps Co-ops Thrive"

5/30/2018

Rae Tyson, Delmarva Correspondent | May 18, 2018 Updated May 23, 2018
http://www.lancasterfarming.com/market_news/agribusiness/cultivating-relationships-helps-co-ops-thrive/article_3c5f0b9b-ba67-5ec3-b7cf-3d8183cbe51f.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Co-ops and KDC featured in Lancaster Farming Newspaper from event in Delmarva.

"The main message of co-ops should be, ‘We can help one another,’" Fogarty said.

Meet Some of Our Clients!

7/5/2017

We LOVE working with our clients - and we wanted to hear what they love about working with us. We asked 6 of our clients to introduce themselves and tell us what they have accomplished through their collaboration with the Keystone Development Center. Their organizations include Leadership that Works, the MontCo Union Taxi Co-op, MARC - Feeding PA, and Tuscarora Organic Growers. Click here to check out the video - we hope you love it as much as we do!

KDC Annual Report 2016

5/8/2017

KDC's Urban Cooperative Match Grant 2017

4/25/2017

Introduction

The Keystone Development Center Board of Directors has established a fund to assist in the development of Urban Cooperatives in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Urban Cooperative Match Grant will provide match funding to assist in the development and expansion of urban cooperative startups and established cooperatives who require education & training or intensive technical assistance.

KDC: Cooperative Solutions (KDC) invites proposals from cooperative businesses based in urban areas in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland for match grants to support the development of our region’s cooperative economy. Grants of up to $2,500 will be awarded for education and technical assistance for projects that will strengthen and diversify our regional urban cooperative economy. Eligible applicants must comply with all standards set forth in this document as well as further requirements determined by KDC as necessary. KDC retains sole discretion with respect to the approval or disapproval of any proposal.

Background

The Keystone Development Center has a mission to sustain communities, economies, and resources through cooperatively-owned businesses. We are a non-profit corporation, incorporated on March 24, 1999 with a mission to provide technical and research assistance to groups who wish to organize as cooperatives. Through these efforts we strive to meet the economic and business development needs of rural and non-rural areas in the multi-state area of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware.

We believe that the cooperative-business model can enable people to mitigate business risk and provide themselves with services at an economic advantage. We give priority to new and emerging groups, especially in areas that are under-served and financially challenged. KDC provides these groups with technical assistance, access to financial resources, and links to other supporting organizations. The Urban Match Grant is intended to cover the cost of KDC: Cooperative Solutions consultants to provide direct technical support to groups of people striving to develop or strengthen cooperatively owned community businesses. Grants will range in size from $275 to $2,500.

Eligibility and Criteria

The project or organization must have a clearly defined and committed steering committee, worker collective, or board of directors.
The project must be located in the state of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, District of Columbia, or Delaware.
Organization must provide matching funds at least equal to the grant amount requested.
The organization must not be classified as rural by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Funds will be used to cover costs associated with education, training, organizational development and technical assistance provided by Keystone Development Center.
Assistance provided by other development organizations or training services are ineligible uses of these funds.
Keystone Development Center trustees and staff, including their immediate families, are ineligible to apply for a scholarship.

EXAMPLES OF ELIGIBLE PROGRAMS FOR WHICH THE FUNDS MAY BE USED INCLUDE:

Feasibility Studies
Business Plans
Organizational Development
Board & Employee Training
Technical Documentation
Marketing
Information Technology Assistance

Application Deadline: June 30, 2017
Awards will be announced July 31, 2017
Funds must be expended within 12 months of award notice

To Apply:

Complete an application form.
Attach a description of the technical assistance project.
Funds must be applied for and approved prior to receiving the assistance. The Urban Match Grant will not offer reimbursement for the fees for previously received services.
If applications are incomplete or unclear they will be returned without being processed.
E-mail or mail the completed application and required additional information to:

Urban Grant Committee
Keystone Development Center
108F N. Reading Road
Ephrata, PA 17522
Tel: 717-792-2163
Email: info@kdc.coop

The Fund is administered and managed by Keystone Development Center.
All eligible recipients will be approved within the limits of the Fund as stated above and as long as funds are available (on an annual basis) for distribution.
Notification of the status of each request will be sent via e-mail or regular postal service when a decision is made.
Recipients must participate in a year-end survey evaluating the technical assistance services provided.

Please find the grant application form here