Georgia Cooperative
 Development Center
*Co-Sponsored by the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development and the 
Georgia RC&D Council

 

 



Projects
Completed Current Future
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Completed

  • Southwest Georgia Escapes
  • Southern Gin Inc.
    • Organizing
    • Feasiblity Study
    • Business Plan
  • Heard Chicken Litter Composting
    • Advice on organizing alternatives
    • Financial analysis
  • Patmos Peanut Co-op Peanut Buying Point
    • Advice on organizing alternatives
    • Feasiblity Study
  • Flint River Valley Farms - Vegetable Marketing
    • Advice on organizing alternatives
    • Preliminary Feasibility Study

Current

  • Technical Assistant Grants Include:
    • Organizing cooperative - articles & by-laws
    • Developing marketing plan
    • Developing web page 
    • Support for marketing program
    • Temporary projects
  • Catelihli Cooperative, Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe agrotourism Project (Dr. Bill Thomas)
    • Board training continues with board working through the Leading Board material.
    Meeting with board held on Aug 9.
    Training to continue with assistance in planning fund raising.
    • Feasibility Study
  • Farmers’ Food Network, Carroll Co., board training, business plan (Dr. Bill Thomas)
    • Board Training started on Feb 7. Included modifying bylaws.
    Board Training held Aug. 12, 2005.
  • Grass Fed Beef processing, Carroll Co. (Dr. Kent Wolfe)
    • Survey of Georgia and Alabama beef producers completed and turned over to steering committee.
    • Waiting for committee to determine if they want to proceed.
    • Organizational and feasibility study
  • Sunbelt Organic Gold, Douglas, Poultry litter (Dr. John McKissick)
    • Revised feasibility/business plan delivered
    • Co-op conduct capital drive
    • Developed Business Plan
  • Georgia Corn Growers, ethanol feasibility (Dr. George Shumaker)
    • Preliminary feasibility study completed
    • Study delivered to Corn Growers Board Aug 15.
    • Economic impact and organizational assistance
  • Sparta/Hancock Producer Growers Cooperative -feasibility of a vegetable packing shed/ consolidation center (Dr. John McKissick)
    • Marketing analysis delivered to board.
    • Cooperative operating and selling through farmers markets and CSAs
  • Red Hills Natural Foods Cooperative (Hancock Co.) Small scale poultry processing using a mobile poultry processing system. (Dr. John McKissick)
    • Market and cost analysis complete and delivered to cooperative.
    • Board visited Kentucky plant to see portable operation.
    • Board arranging financing for plant.
    • Organizational, regulatory analysis and assistance
    • Feasibility study
  • Ogeechee Area Cooperative (Hancock Co.) Small scale poultry processing using a mobile poultry processing system. (Dr. John McKissick)
    • Working with USDA to define regulatory issues
    • Initial cost analysis complete and delivered
  • Timber and wood marketing analysis, metro Atlanta. (Dr. Bill Thomas)
    • Focus narrowed to wood lot option.
    • RC&D developing mailing list for potential member interest survey.
  • AgriEnergy South LLC (Dr. George Shumaker)
    • Economic impact study for ethanol plant in SE GA
    • Met with group to discuss organizational structure alternatives.
    • Mike Best hosted trip to Kentucky plant.
    • Feasibility study completed and delivered to group Aug. 5, 2005.
    • Feasibility study was not positive for conventional plant.
  • Oconee County poultry producers - Poultry Litter (Dr. Kent Wolfe)
    • Feasibility study and business plan
    • Meeting held with interested producers. There was no consensus in scope of a co-op.
    • Kent Wolfe hosted trip to visit South Carolina Composter.
    • Additional trip being arranged with assistance from Holli Kugkendall.
  • Ocilla Cotton Gin
    • Feasibility Study - conducted and delivered in May
    • Organizational assistance
  • Pearl Millet Marketing Cooperative (Dr. George Shumaker)
    • Bill Thomas spoke at Millet field day and leaders determining if there is sufficient interest for a steering committee.
    • Request includes assessment of all phases of planning and analyses (marketing plan feasibility study, business plan, marketing research, and economic analyses).
    • Three members for steering committee identified and to begin work after harvest.
  • Farm Fresh Tattnall - Roadside Marketing Co-op (Dr. Kent Wolfe)
    • Review and analyze effectiveness of promotion program
    • Make recommendations for changes in current promotion program
    • Customer survey completed and being analyzed
    • Multimedia advertising program evaluation
  • Alma Pack Inc. (Dr. John McKissick)
    • Organizational assistance
    • Feasibility of IQF blueberries and in house frozen storage
    • Work on project to begin in fall after harvest
  • Golden Seal (Dr. Kent Wolfe)
    • Organizational assistance for herb marketing cooperative
    • Market analysis for Golden Seal herb under review
  • Cooperative Youth Conference
    • Held at FFA Camp in July with 50 youth attending
    • 14 scholarships provided
    • Bill Thomas made presentation about GCDC and current cooperative activities in the state.
  • Young Cooperators Conference
    • November 11-13, 2005 in Myrtle Beach South Carolina
    • GCDC will offer scholarships for board members (and spouse) to attend. It is great way to learn more about co-ops and to network.
  • White County Farm Supply Co-op
    • By-law review
  • Farmers' Fresh Food Network - Value added vegetable sales
    • Organization assistance
    • Board training
    • Business Plan

Future Projects

  • Washington County agrotourism
    • 70 potential members
    • Requested information and pictures
    • A web Site is being developed
  • Brainbridge Agrotourism (meeting Aug 25)
  • Jasper County Agrotourism meeting on August 11
    • 8 trail riding locations, canoe rides
  • Macon County Agrotourism meeting on August 8 to determine direction

 
 

The following projects have been accepted for funding from the GCDC for 2005:

Catelihli Cooperative
Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe
Wigham, GA
Agri-tourism project

Farmers' Fresh Food Network
Carrollton, GA
Board training, Business Plan

Grass-fed Beef Processing
Carrollton, GA
Feasibility Study for processing facility

Sunbelt Organic Gold Cooperative
Douglas, GA
Revised Feasibility Study, Business Plan for pelletized chicken litter

Georgia Corn Growers
Tifton, GA
Feasibility Study for ethanol production

Sparta/Hancock County Growers Cooperative
Sparta, GA
Feasibility Study for a packing shed

Ogeechee Area Cooperative
Sparta, GA
Initial analysis of mobile poultry processing facility

AgriEnergy South
Alma, GA
Feasibility Study for ethanol production

Oconee County Poultry Growers
Watkinsville, GA
Feasibility Study and Business Plan for chicken litter composting

Pearl Millet Marketing Cooperative
Tifton, GA
Market Assessment, Feasibility Study, Economic Analysis for pearl millet in Georgia

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