Co-operative Farming: July 2021 news

30 July 2021

Co-operating Farming kicked off over 18 months ago with support from the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment. Funding has supported the BCCM to raise awareness of co-operatives and to develop resources to support farmers and primary producers to learn about the business model and to start and grow new agribusinesses built on co-operation.

Financial support for the program is concluding now but a range of self-help resources remain at your fingertips to help you learn and take action to build sustainable farming enterprises.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the program and got involved. A huge thanks to our co-operative champions who have shared their co-operative experience with Aussie farmers and helped us build world-class learning materials based on real-world, agribusiness expertise.

We will continue to profile the important work farmers, fishers and foresters are doing across the country each month in this newsletter.

When farmers are starting out on a new business venture, there is no better way to learn than hearing direct from businesses that have walked the path before and many leading co-operatives shared frank and fearless advice through our Co-operative Conversations series and Meet the Co-op Farmers podcast.

All the tools you need

The Co-operative Farming team has been working hard to develop tools to help you run your business. Here are some new tools you can explore:

An updated Co-op Builder tool with new guidance on start-up share offers

new guide to marketing offers of shares and other securities

A prototype co-operative governance evaluation tool – measure your co-op’s governance performance against the CME Governance Principles.

The best resources at your fingertips

We’re also delighted to provide you with free access our Co-operative Foundations online education modules. These six modules cover core aspects of the co-operative business model and have been developed to provide a solid foundational understanding of co-operatives within an agricultural context. You can complete these at your own pace and convenience with optional quizzes to undertake.

​In case you missed it

The BCCM, as a learning partner of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, is offering a first of its kind course to educate those in professional services about the co-operative business model. The Co-operative Financials and Governance for Accountants and Lawyers Program will run on August 17, 19 and 24.

We know you’ve probably watched it by now but in case you haven’t caught it, Fightback Farmers: Feeding Australia Together is still available to watch on ABC iview. It aired last month and was expected to have half a million viewers across the country in the first month alone. It features local heroes showing why co-operative farming could be a solution to a thriving modern agriculture sector and sustainable communities.

​​We’re here to help

If you have questions or would like more information or support to planstart or run a co-op, please get in touch with the Co-operative Farming team.

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