Maine is internationally renowned for our food. We also rank 7th in the country and 1st in New England for food insecurity, or households without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. How can we effectively feed Maine, ensure fair wages to producers and workers, and continue to support a flourishing food
Sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the Common Ground Fair is a rite of autumn for many Mainers and for thousands from every corner of New England. Held September 22nd–24th in Unity, Maine, this year marked the 41st anniversary of the fair and its celebration of rural living and agricultural traditions. This
Maine State Housing Authority recently held their bi-annual affordable housing conference. The theme was “Lead. Assist. Empower.” This year they invited partners to submit ideas for workshops and with over 30 entries, they selected 15 of the most compelling submissions. I knew that a cooperative housing workshop would be a timely conversation, exciting and attracting
Portland Buy Local invited Rob Brown, director of CDI’s Business Ownership Solutions (BOS), to be the guest speaker at a brown bag luncheon on Thursday, September 7, at the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce. Over 30 business owners and advisors came to learn about converting a business to employee ownership and hear stories about Maine businesses
The Cooperative Development Institute is pleased to announce that we have received four recent grants from the US Department of Agriculture in support of cooperative development. This year marks the 19th time that CDI has received the Rural Cooperative Development Grant. This funding supports our work as the Northeast’s “one-stop shop” for cooperative business assistance,
A Vermont Public Radio story has quoted CDI’s Sarah Martin on our work with Vermont mobile home communities seeking to transition to resident ownership. Sarah Martin is a Cooperative Development Specialist under CDI’s NEROC Program. In the VPR story, Sarah talks about our work supporting the residents of St. George Villa as they take steps to
It’s a big year for cooperatives at the annual Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine. CDI staff and partners are presenting in a variety of workshops, including: Converting a Business to Worker Ownership Friday, September 22, 5pm-6pm in the Social and Political Action Speakers Tent Rob Brown, CDI’s Director of Business Ownership Solutions (BOS)
Since this spring, The Bollard—a monthly newspaper based in Portland, Maine—has published a series of stories on local cooperative development. From a housecleaning cooperative where workers are treated with respect to a piece on the vision behind cooperatives, the series has highlighted CDI and featured interviews with our staff and partners. In its September issue,
I live in a community where it’s common to run your own business or work for someone who does. We are artists, builders, growers, and makers with small companies that typically cannot afford to offer health insurance or 401Ks. My personal story involves years of working part time for a gardening company owned by my
The Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy in New York City, June 9-11th, brought together worker-owners, co-op developers, advocates, lenders, and organizers for learning, networking, and movement building. CDI Staff, Contractors and Board Members were well represented this year at the conference offering a range of workshops and participating in many sessions. NYC has had many
