What is a cooperative, and why are they important?
A. A cooperative is a member-owned business with membership open to those who use its services. It is democratically controlled with board members elected by the members. A cooperative is operated on a nonprofit basis and returns any margins or profits to members on the basis of patronage and at the discretion of its board of directors. Cooperatives were started as a way to provide services to rural areas when commercial companies either would not provide service or charged extremely higher rates. They are essential to the fabric of rural America.
