Rural Cooperative Development

NABC is a USDA-Designated Rural Cooperative Development Center

NABC believes that producer-owned cooperatives are critically important to the growth and financial sustainability of regional food systems. Cooperative structures allow producers to pool and leverage resources for business development and to create, share and implement best practices. The cooperative business structure allows producers to have a voice in how the business should work to ensure an appropriate economic return to every farmer-owner.  See the sidebar menu for more information about cooperatives, and NABC’s efforts.

Existing cooperatives or producer groups interested in forming a cooperative or mutually owned business and in need of access to capital, feasibility study guidance, professional business planning, or development support, are encouraged to contact NABC at 360-336-3727 or info@agbizcenter.org.  

Funded by the USDA Rural Development Department and its Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program, NABC supports the development of agriculture cooperatives and mutually-owned or managed producer businesses throughout northwest Washington. NABC helps farmer-owned cooperatives and enterprises explore options, provides business planning assistance, marketing support and other technical assistance.

U.S. farmer, rancher, and fishery cooperatives had a total sales volume of $246 billion in 2013, a new record that surpasses the previous record, set in 2012, by $8 billion, or 4 percent, according to a USDA press release.

NABC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.