In the US, October is celebrated as Co-op Month. For 2023, the theme is “Owning Our Identity” which is a chance for us to reflect on what makes cooperatives unique, and promote that our businesses are cooperative, sharing with our clients and customers what cooperative ownership means in practice. At the Madison Cooperative Development Coalition (MCDC), we see cooperative ownership creating opportunities for people from marginalized groups to be business owners, building wealth that stays in the community, fostering worker control in the workplace and spreading democracy within businesses. If you are a co-op member, how does your cooperative explain its cooperative identity?
We’ll be celebrating Co-op Month at Summit Credit Union’s annual Co-op Connection on Saturday October 7th from 9am-12pm on MLK Blvd during the Dane County Farmers’ Market. We’ll be joining lots of other cooperatives, from consumer cooperatives to worker cooperatives to share information about the cooperative model and demonstrate how it can be used in many different ways. Come visit us at the MCDC and UW Center for Cooperatives tables and learn more about how you can connect with resources. The event is free and includes music and kids activities.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is the US agency with the most funding and support for cooperatives, releases a proclamation each October to recognize this month. We will share that on our social media when it’s published. To follow us on social media, visit facebook.com/mcdcmadison and/or instagram.com/mcdcmadison.
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