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CEDC Hires Communications Specialist

Common Enterprise Development Corporation, Mandan, has hired Rachel Brazil as Communications and Reporting Manager. Brazil received her dual master’s degree in American Studies and Environment &...

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Why Cooperation Works- The Quest for Equality

How humans cooperate, rather than compete, has often been studied. Often students will study an existing model of human cooperation. In trying to understand something – we as humans use a working...

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Understanding the Value of Equity

In a cooperative all members are equal, regardless of how much business they do with the cooperative.  That means that the governing board has to insure that one group of members is not subsidizing...

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CEDC hires new Executive Director

Common Enterprise Development Corporation, Mandan, is pleased to announce the hiring of Cheryl Ann Kary as Executive Director. Kary holds a PhD in Communication and Public Discourse from the University...

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Understanding the Value of Solidarity

There are five International Cooperative Alliance values that commonly agreed to by cooperatives around the world.  In previous columns, the values of equality and equity have been discussed.  Equality...

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The Value of Self-Help: Inspiration in Action

The International Cooperative Alliance has adopted five values.  In previous issues we have discussed Equality, Equity, and Solidarity.  This week the value we are thinking about is self-help....

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Self-Responsibility: A Foundation for Democracy

The International Cooperative Alliance has adopted six cooperative values, which include self-help, self-responsibility, equity, equality, democracy and solidarity. In previous issues of this column I...

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The Value of Democracy

Perhaps everybody already knows the last cooperative value to be discussed today.  It is democracy. In   rural North Dakota we are full of democracy—some people think we have too much.  We elect...

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The Principles of Cooperation

There are seven cooperative principles that can be used to understand how cooperatives are supposed to operate. Operating principles are different from the six cooperative values.  Values are the...

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Concern for the Community

The seventh cooperative principle is “concern for the community”.    This wasn’t much of an issue in the 1700’s when Ben Franklin created a mutual fire insurance company in Philadelphia.  At the time...

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The Principle of Education

The cooperative principle today is Education, Training, and Information.  You will rarely hear cooperative members say, my cooperative communicates with me too much.  Most cooperatives don’t overdue...

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Voluntary and Open Membership

The first cooperative principle is voluntary and open membership.  This principle had a difficult beginning.  As civilizations developed and currency became a medium of exchange, ruling individuals...

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Cooperation among Cooperatives

For those of you keeping track, I have been writing about the cooperative values adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance.  There are six values, self-help, self-responsibility, equity,...

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The Everyday Challenge of Cooperation

Cooperation beyond organizational identity is a serious challenge in our society today.  Some business schools teach aspiring managers how to create “brand equity”.  Brand equity is a big deal in the...

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Potlucks bring people together, through Cooperation

Nothing says human cooperation better than “potluck”.  Before there were catering services, before there was any money available for a meal budget, there was potluck.  A masterful example of group...

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Equality, the self-evident truth

We celebrate the day the Colonies declared independence from England on the 4th of July.  The actual document might have been signed on the 5th of July in 1776.  Independence Hall still stands, and...

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Competition and Cooperation

A defining characteristic of capitalism is competition.  Adam Smith believed that when a significant number of people wanted the same good or service, individuals or companies would compete with each...

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Cooperation and Education

There is a wonderful organization known as ACE—it stands for the Association of Cooperative Educators.  ACE is over 50 years old and meets once a year for a Cooperative Institute.  The organization is...

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Memories of Rural Cooperation

Rural life is full of stories of cooperation.  My Aunt Beulah Long’s funeral was last week in Bowdon.  She was just a month short of reaching 100 years.  Much was said at the family gathering at the...

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A State of Cooperation

Twenty five years ago Senator Quentin Burdick of North Dakota and Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas introduce legislation that created a domestic cooperative development program.  The legislation...

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The Tale of an Impossible Dream

Twenty years ago this summer Northern Great Plains ranchers embarked on an impossible dream.  These ranchers dreamed of owning their own slaughter plant and identifying every cut of beef all the way...

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Courage for Community

This past week I attended a work shop on the basics of building community put on by USDA Rural Development and NDSU Extension.  Those two agencies have spent a great deal of money, expertise and time...

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Believe in the Future

The Future Farmers of America, now just the FFA, have a creed.   It starts with “I believe in the future of Agriculture”.  It is sure a good thing, if you intend to be a farmer, to believe in the...

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The Difficult Task of Choosing a Leader

One of the reasons I think that I talk so much is because I have had so much time to think about things.  I drive from Bismarck to Fargo often. Most of the time by myself.  During that three hour...

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The Greatest Political Motivator

It is easy to see that people are angry.  A clerk in Kentucky is angry that same sex marriages are now legal in the United States.  She is convinced that such relationships are sinful.  She thinks that...

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A Measure of Life

It was 48 years ago that I graduated from Fessenden High School. I had bet myself that I could still name all of my classmates.  I thought I was in a class of 33 and I wrote down about 28 names.  I was...

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A Take-It or Leave-It Kind of World

If you spend time thinking about it, it will cross your mind that people with money are the ones who control American politics.  In 1995 Kevin Phillips published Arrogant Capital-- Washington, Wall...

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Agriculture in a Changing World

It is a simple thing to say that people should live in harmony with nature.  It hasn’t been that long since Native Americans had lived in homes made from skins or earth lodges. Natives had learned to...

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A Common Humanity

It is hard to know the long-term impact of Pope Francis’ visit on the people of the United States.  I don’t know how many people saw him in person and on television.  But I know people were sure...

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When a good idea comes along...

It is hard to overstate the power of good ideas.  They are enduring.  They last and last until a better idea replaces them.  Using horse for locomotion was an enduring idea. When my dad was born in...

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This Place that We Live

How did the earth get here?  No one knows, there are only theories.  Some creation stories are so popular many English speaking people recognize Adam and Eve as the first two people on the earth....

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North Dakota Booms Overtime

Understanding good and bad of an economic boom at the same time is hard to do.  Most people just choose one or the other.  Take the example of Bakken oil.  The folks who see it as good have plenty to...

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The Real Old School

Perhaps nothing defines North Dakota better than a school house.  A school remains the heart of a community.  In many towns the school is on Main Street, or sometimes the anchor at the end of the...

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In the Beginning

“In the beginning” are the first three words in the book of Genesis.  Those same three words are the title of Alister McGrath’s book, “In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible.” McGrath...

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Sticking to it

My mother said there are worse things than being dead.  She wanted me to understand that sometimes life prepares you for death, and death can be the best option.  She also told me that it takes a lot...

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Gratitude and Thanks

Across America people are celebrating the National Day of Thanksgiving. Many presidents had proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving.  President Washington was the first, in 1789, thankful for winning...

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When we sing "Que Sera, Sera"

I was cleaning the office this past week.  The three of us who work in the Mandan office take turns each week and it was my turn.  As I was vacuuming near the door, I sucked up a box elder bug.  I...

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The Peace Garden State

I often wonder if people outside of North Dakota know that we call ourselves the “Peace Garden State.”  Outsiders tend to confuse us with South Dakota— “You have the faces don’t you?” North Dakota is...

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CEDC Hosting Meeting for Local Meat Producers to Discuss Collaborative...

Common Enterprise Development Corporation (CEDC) is hosting a meeting for area ranchers interested in selling finished meat products direct to the consumer.  The meeting will be held at 2pm on Saturday...

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Recipe for Greatness

Lots of people I talk with are afraid.  The rise of Donald Trump to prominence in the Republican primary is scaring some long-time party faithful.  I have also talked with people who think Trump is...

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When technology changes...

Knowing what to keep and what to throw away is not always easy.  When a way of doing things gives way to a new technology, the people who were proficient in the old way lose their status. When I...

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Shooting Straight and Moving Foward

I blame my inability to throw things away on the fact that I grew up poor.  As a farm kid, we kept old machinery we no longer used, if for no other purpose than scrap iron.  Today, it is difficult...

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Goodbye, Neighbor

On December 28th, 2015, my neighbor Herman Muhlbradt died at age 84.  He and his wife Janet had been our neighbors for 20 of the 23 years we have lived here.  Herman lived life with the safety shields...

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Celebrate Solidarity

I spent the first 15 years of my professional life being an economic developer.  In 1985, Governor Sinner thought I was good enough to lead the North Dakota Economic Development Commission. Most folks...

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Wealth of Rural Places

I have a question for each of you,  "Do the future of rural places depend on wealthy people investing in them?"  I was curious when I saw the title of Hunter Lewis's 2007 book, “Are the Rich Necessary?...

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