37th FUTURE COOPERATIVE LEADERS CONFERENCE

July 11-13, 2017, Mt. Morris, NY

Sponsored by the Northeast Cooperative Council

In collaboration with Dairy Farmers of America

And the Cornell University Cooperative Enterprise Program

Conference facility: Genesee River Restaurant & Reception Center

Accommodations: Country Inn & Suites, Mt. Morris, NY

“Gateway to the Grand Canyon of the Northeast”

Advancing tomorrow’s cooperative leaders today

Future leaders will:

Start a co-op

Lead a co-op

Engage with cooperative leaders

Tour innovative farm and food businesses

Expand their network, make new friends

“I learned I need to adapt,

innovate, and be willing to

take more risks.”

Wednesday tour focus: sustainability and collaboration

Craigs Station Creamery and Noblehurst Farms The initial joint venture between 8 Western NY dairy farms and Dairy Farmers of America to process milk utilizing cold milk processing for customized dairy ingredi-ents. Craigs Station employs a sustainable source of energy powered by an anaero-bic methane digester fueled by cow manure and food waste. Currently expanding to cheese manufacturing in collaboration with Arla Foods, a European-based co-op.

R. L. Jeffers & Sons, Inc. A 5th generation, 9,000 ac. farm, harvesting row crops and processing vegetables with custom tillage, planting and harvest services. Home of the Pod Squad and Navillus Irrigation, LLC. R. L. Jeffers & Sons is in collaboration with other farms to add value and market conventional and organic vegetables. The farm was the recip-ient of the 2007 NYS Agriculture Environment Award.

“The conference provided a good balance of leadership

and Co-ops 101. I hope to see the people I met in the future.”

Some of our featured speakers:

Chris Fesko is an educator, farmer, creator and producer of the award-winning On

the Farm video series. She was recognized as a Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives in 2016.

Terri Webb is a Delegate at Large to the Dairy Farmers of America Northeast Coun-

cil, former President of Farmland Dairies, LLC and former CFO Crowley Foods.

Will Baildon is Regional Vice President for CoBank, ACB. Throughout his career he

has focused on meeting the needs of cooperative member-owners as a loan officer, credit manager, and customer relations manager.

For more information: Contact Bobbie Severson, NECC Executive Secretary at: Email: rmh27@cornell.edu Phone: 607/255-1987

37th FUTURE COOPERATIVE LEADERS CONFERENCE AGENDA

July 11-13, 2017 Mt. Morris, NY

Sponsored by the Northeast Cooperative Council In collaboration with Dairy Farmers of America

And the Cornell University Cooperative Enterprise Program

Conference facility: Genesee River Restaurant & Reception Center Accommodations: Country Inn & Suites, Mt. Morris, NY

TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 11, 2017 11:00 AM—REGISTRATION

12:00 NOON—LUNCH WITH COOPERATIVE LEADERS Welcome and introductions

Remarks Chris Fesko, “Passion on the Run”

TUESDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 11, 2017 1:30 Co-opoly Todd Schmit, Associate Professor, Cornell University

3:30 BREAK

4:00 Cooperative Round Tables With cooperative directors and managers

TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 11, 2017 6:00 RECESS 6:30 RECEPTION

7:00 DINNER

Greetings—Tom and Jenna Matthews, DFA host couple

Welcome—Dairy Farmers of America

Keynote—Chris Fesko, Leadership: Do You Follow Me?

(ADJOURN FOR THE EVENING)

WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 12, 2017 7:00 COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL

8:00 Cooperative Resource Panel Finance—Will Baildon, CoBank, ACB

Management—Terri Webb, Dairy Farmers of America

Governance—DFA Board Member

9:30 BREAK

10:00 The Board is in Session—Part 1 Governance, confidentiality & members right to know

11:00 The Board is in Session—Part 2 Finance, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 12, 2017

12:30 LUNCH

1:30 TOUR Board the bus for Craigs Station Creamery and R. L. Jeffers & Sons

6:00 DINNER OFF-SITE 8:30 RETURN TO HOTEL THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 13, 2017

7:00 COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL 8:00 The Board is in Session—Part 3 Dealing with a shock

9:00 The Board is in Session—Part 4 Issues confronting today’s cooperatives

10:00 BREAK

10:30 Opportunities for Cooperative Leadership—DFA

11:15 De-brief, evaluation, reporting back

12:00 SAFE TRIP HOME

For more information, contact: Bobbie Severson, Director Cornell University Cooperative Enterprise Program At email: rmh27@cornell.edu Phone: 607.255.1987