Cooperative Development Foundation Awarded $950,000 USDA Grant to Expand Rural Co-op Ownership, Jobs and Economic Opportunity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CDF and 13 partners will help rural communities across 28 states launch co-ops, create jobs, expand access to food and care, and build stronger local economies in 2027.
WASHINGTON, DC — October 22, 2026 — The Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) has been awarded a $950,000 Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand economic opportunity in rural America through co-op ownership.
Working with 13 partners across 28 states, CDF will help rural residents start and grow co-ops that create jobs, expand access to essential goods and services, and keep wealth in local communities. Over the coming year, the initiative aims to assist more than 350 rural groups and nearly 200 co-ops, support the launch of 10 new co-ops, create or retain 114 rural jobs, and expand access to goods and services for more than 45,000 residents. More than 25% of grant resources will serve persistent-poverty counties.
“Rural communities have the ideas, talent, and determination to shape their economic future. Co-ops give people a way to turn those assets into businesses they own and control together,” said Julie Bosland, Executive Director of CDF. “This investment will help more rural residents become business owners, create good jobs, and meet needs that traditional markets often leave unmet. Just as important, we're building the partnerships and tools that will help rural co-ops thrive long after this grant ends.”
Supporting the Co-ops That Feed and Care for Rural America
A major focus of the 2027 initiative is helping rural communities address urgent needs in agriculture, food systems, childcare, and health care through locally owned businesses.
In agriculture, partners will help Native American producers develop co-ops that expand markets and keep more value in Tribal communities, including meat processing and wool enterprises in the Navajo Nation and a proposed co-op marketplace on the Crow Reservation. In Indiana, farmers will explore shared ownership of agricultural technology and data, while projects in New York and other states will strengthen worker-owned farms, food hubs, and local food markets.
The grant will also support new approaches to rural childcare and health care. In Maine and Nebraska, partners will help childcare providers use co-op ownership to share resources, address staffing shortages, and expand services.
In rural Maryland, community health workers will develop a co-op to help older adults access telehealth and other health services. Additional projects will support home care co-ops in Washington and other states and explore co-op models for expanding access to mental health services. Together, these initiatives will demonstrate how co-ops can help states advance Rural Health Transformation goals by addressing workforce shortages, creating quality jobs, and expanding access to care in underserved communities.
Building Rural Co-op Leaders and Stronger Support Systems
Beyond supporting individual businesses, the grant will invest in the people and organizations that help rural co-ops succeed.
CDF and its partners will train co-op developers, expand access to business and leadership education, and create new tools to help rural entrepreneurs find the support they need. CDF will also bring emerging co-op leaders to Louisiana for hands-on learning about rural businesses and regional partnerships.
National projects will develop a more accessible co-op referral system, practical learning tools for farmers and food businesses, and shared ways to measure the impact of co-op development. These resources will help more rural communities access the expertise needed to start and sustain co-ops.
Strengthening Rural Co-op Economies Across the Country
The grant will also help build stronger state and regional co-op networks. In the South Central United States, partners will connect co-op developers, lenders, universities, and business support organizations to expand access to expertise and financing. In the Pacific Northwest, the Cascadia Cooperative Conference will bring together rural co-op leaders to advance business succession, food co-ops, and shared services. In Minnesota, the CoMinnesota initiative will strengthen connections among co-ops, expand training, and document their economic and social impact.
“Our goal is not just to launch more co-ops in 2027. It's to make co-op ownership a more accessible option for rural communities across the country,” Bosland said. “By connecting local leaders with the right expertise, resources, and partners, we're helping build a stronger rural co-op economy that can create opportunity for generations to come.”
Project Partners
CDF will lead the initiative in partnership with 13 organizations and individuals: CoNorth; Co-op Hudson Valley; Cooperative Development Institute; ICA Group; Indiana Cooperative Development Center; Keystone Development Center; Nebraska Cooperative Development Center; Northwest Cooperative Development Center; South Central Rural Cooperative Center at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Trillium Cooperative; U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives; University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives; and cooperative educator Cathy Statz.
These partners bring expertise in agriculture, food systems, childcare, health care, workforce development, and regional co-op networks, helping rural communities build businesses and lasting systems of support.
About the Cooperative Development Foundation
Founded in 1944, the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) advances economic opportunity and community well-being through co-op ownership. Through grantmaking, leadership development, and partnerships, CDF helps people build businesses they own and govern together, strengthen local economies, and create lasting community wealth.
Learn more at www.cdf.coop.
Media Contact:
Julie Bosland, Executive Director
Cooperative Development Foundation
202-383-5440
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