Cooperative Development Institute

A new halal meat production and processing system in Maine is one step closer to becoming a reality thanks to the support of CDI and new funding from the USDA Rural Development agency.

There are two components that are in the works to create this new halal meat food system in the state: 1) Developing a cooperative of local livestock producers and 2) building Maine’s first, exclusively halal-certified, USDA-regulated slaughter and processing facility.

“Despite the recent growth of Muslim and other immigrant populations in the region, there are no local sources for these culturally relevant processed meat products,” said Katherine Bessey, Director of CDI’s Cooperative Business Services Program. “There is a need to develop an equitable local food production system in Maine that provides access to culturally relevant food, such as halal slaughtered meats. Maine farmers need a variety of tools to create a sustainable industry. By forming a cooperative to pool resources and expand markets, Maine’s farmers, producers, sellers, and consumers will all benefit.”

Read more here: https://cdi.coop/five-pillars-butchery-unity-maine-usda-rural-development/

We’re excited to announce that we’ve launched a new swag shop! Part of the proceeds will be donated to CDI to support us in our mission to create a more prosperous and equitable economy for our communities. Show your CDI love by shopping here for your family and friends! Shop our swag here: https://shop.worxprinting.coop/collections/cdi

"Within one week, the group had gathered enough resident signatures to form the Blueberry Fields Cooperative. They eventually offered more than $26 million — $50,000 more than an anonymous buyer — to purchase the park. They secured letters of interest from a few banks and others and an initial loan to cover a deposit. And their offer was accepted."

CDI is honored to be supporting the residents of Brunswick's Linnhaven Mobile Home Center through the process of purchasing their community, ensuring that residents feel secure in their homes.

Read the full story here: https://www.mainepublic.org/business-and-economy/2024-07-10/brunswick-residents-may-be-the-first-to-use-a-new-maine-law-to-purchase-their-mobile-home-park

CDI's Rob Brown presented at the recent Vermont Employee Ownership Center Conference about the benefits and limitations of employee-ownership as an exit strategy for business owners. Learn about the process starting from initial exploration through deal structuring, financing, and post-transaction support. Watch the recording of his full presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mU7qSUNWsI

Vermont Employee Ownership Center

Pine Tree Village, a resident-owned community of 185 manufactured homes in Carver, Mass., will receive $4.4 million through the state’s Affordable Housing Development Grant to replace its aging water infrastructure, allowing residents to have safe and reliable drinking water. CDI successfully supported the community in applying for the grant. Read their story here: https://cdi.coop/pine-tree-village-gov-maura-healey/

The community raised lot rents by $25 a couple of years ago to begin some of the water infrastructure work, but there’s still a lot of work to go before everything is up to code and reliable for residents, said Irene Schnell, treasurer of the Pine Tree Village Residents Association’s board.

“An increase of any amount can be tight for many of our residents,” said Ms. Schnell, noting that the community is home to many seniors with fixed incomes and young families.

“We have people getting iron coming through in the water. The iron stains our laundry orange. People can’t water their lawns because there isn’t enough water pressure. When one person flushes a toilet, a shower will shut off. My faucet blew out the other day because of the build-up in one of the old pipes. From soup to nuts there is always something causing issues.”

Thank you Gov. Maura Healey!

On June 19, 1865, the last enslaved African American people in the United States learned of their freedom. Join us in honoring Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day. Learn more about Juneteenth here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth

In honor of CDI’s 30th anniversary, we tracked down our founders who started our organization back in 1994. Many of them had not been in touch with CDI for decades and were happily surprised to receive our phone call. Read the story here: https://cdi.coop/founders-30-anniversary/

Help us reach our $30K for 30 years goal by making a donation. Thank you for your support!

CDI turns 30 years old on August 26, 2024. Today, our non-profit employs 31 people, has preserved more than 5,000 affordable homes in New England, created more than 800 cooperative jobs, transitioned 28 businesses into employee-owned companies, and secured millions in funding for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in rural communities.

We are celebrating our birthday with a $30K for 30 years fundraising campaign. Give $1,000 or more and receive an organic-cotton CDI tote bag made in the USA! Support our mission and help us reach our $30K goal: https://cdi.coop/30th-anniversary-fundraise-campaign/

The team had a blast at our virtual retreat last week, putting bright minds together to make our organization even better at serving our communities! We are so grateful for our amazing team and all of their hard work.

If you haven't heard already, it's our 30th anniversary this year! Employment opportunities and professional development for our team are dependent on donations from private donors like you. Please help us reach our $30K for 30 years goal by making a donation: https://cdi.coop/30th-anniversary-fundraise-campaign/

Thank you for your continued support!

CDI is preparing to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Main Program seeking $32,528,500 in infrastructure funding for 38 resident-owned communities across the Northeast.

In accordance with the rules governing the PRICE program, a public comment period will begin Wednesday, June 5th and end on Friday, June 21st.

For those who would like to submit comments, questions, or input about this application, you can do this by emailing us via the link below or by joining us at a community meeting either in person or virtually on June 20. Click the link below for more information:

Community Meeting Notice - PRICE Application – Cooperative Development Institute Community Meeting Notice Seeking Input on Application to HUD for Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Competition The Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) is preparing to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Preser...

Thank you RLMG for using your magic to help us tell the stories of employee-owned companies! 🙌

Thank you Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell for updating the Guide to Manufactured Housing Community Law to reflect the current needs of residents! The new guide aims to help residents understand their rights and navigate unique legal issues.

Read more here: https://cdi.coop/ma-attorney-general-releases-updated-guide-to-manufactured-housing-community-law/

"[CDI] has seen interest in some of its business planning services triple since 2020, particularly from existing Maine businesses who want to sell to their employees as owners retire.

'The argument for cooperatives is very high, and it’s very dollars and cents,' said Rob Brown, director of business ownership solutions at the Cooperative Development Institute.

People with similar ideas feel safer going into business when they do it together, Brown said. Many younger farmers, especially those growing organically, have said they prefer having smaller operations because they feel it has less risk and better work-life balance.

'The younger generation is less interested in maximizing profits,' he said. 'The higher priority for anybody I work with is sustainability.'"

Read the full story from Bangor Daily News: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/05/26/homestead/more-maine-farmers-are-working-together-joam40zk0w/

More Maine farmers are working together to sell their products Pooling resources gives farmers more time, saves them money and provides access to markets they couldn’t reach alone.

Three resident-owned manufactured home communities in Maine, representing 153 homes, received a combined total of $2.3 million in grants and forgivable loans for drinking water infrastructure upgrades, thanks to support from CDI’s WISP program.

Mountainside has been in existence for 70 years and has had three owners before the residents of the park formed the Mountainside Community Cooperative and purchased the park with the support of CDI in December 2019, according to Margaret Jones, President of the Mountainside Community Cooperative.

“This award will allow Mountainside to replace our failing water distribution system and ensure a consistent supply of safe drinking water to the seniors living in our 52-unit affordable housing community,” said Jones. “We would not have been able to address this issue without this much needed assistance. We so appreciate this opportunity to make our community a better and safer place to live.”

Read the link in our bio to read the full story.

Three resident-owned manufactured home communities in Maine, representing 153 homes, received a combined total of $2.3 million in grants and forgivable loans for drinking water infrastructure upgrades, thanks to support from CDI’s WISP program. Read the full story here: https://cdi.coop/wisp-drinking-water-camden-manufactured-home-resident-owned/

Mountainside Mobile Home Park in Camden, one of three recipients of the funds, has been in existence for 70 years and has had three owners before the residents of the park formed the Mountainside Community Cooperative and purchased the park with the support of CDI in December 2019, according to Margaret Jones, President of the Mountainside Community Cooperative.

"This award will allow Mountainside to replace our failing water distribution system and ensure a consistent supply of safe drinking water to the seniors living in our 52-unit affordable housing community," said Jones. "We would not have been able to address this issue without this much needed assistance. We so appreciate this opportunity to make our community a better and safer place to live."

In case you missed it: CDI’s Ryan Demers, Cooperative Development Specialist, spoke at the New York Cooperative Summit in Syracuse last week to talk about Open Book Management or OBM. It’s a set of practices that helps employees understand the most important financial aspects of the business so they can contribute to improving the company’s bottom line. OBM is an important first step for business owners who are planning to transition company ownership to their employees. To learn more about , visit: https://cdi.coop/our-work/programs/business-ownership-solutions/

☀️ A new energy cooperative☀️ aims to roll out solar projects at six sites in Western Maine, eventually producing enough electricity to power 200 to 300 homes. Maine Community Power expects to be producing power as soon as this summer. CDI is proud to have worked alongside the volunteer steering committee to help form this cooperative! Click the link to read their full story: https://cdi.coop/new-solar-co-op-gears-up-to-power-hundreds-of-homes-in-maine/

A new energy cooperative aims to roll out solar projects at six sites in Western Maine, eventually producing enough electricity to power 200 to 300 homes. Maine Community Power expects to be producing power as soon as this summer. CDI is proud to have worked alongside the volunteer steering committee to help form this cooperative!
Read their full story here: https://cdi.coop/new-solar-co-op-gears-up-to-power-hundreds-of-homes-in-maine/

NEW PROGRAM ALERT — Recognizing the growing demand for support of immigrants and asylum seekers in the Northeast, in May 2023, CDI launched its first program designed to service immigrant communities. Click the link to learn how you can support: https://lnkd.in/g2QTJbhw

CDI has unique experience in co-op development and the changing needs of immigrant communities.

In its early stages, the CDI’s immigrant services aims to form an immigrant cooperative services business alliance; increase local ownership of business, housing, land and other assets; and fundraise and partner with financial institutions to invest more general resources into Immigrant Services and its beneficiaries. Click the link above to learn how you can support this program.

Join us on May 8 for a virtual roundtable about employee ownership and how it can help rural businesses grow! Click the link to register for free: https://ticketelf.com/events/employee-ownership-the-key-to-rural-business-survival-5-8-2024

Don't miss our upcoming roundtable on employee ownership with the Cooperative Development Institute. Register at https://ticketelf.com/events/employee-ownership-the-key-to-rural-business-survival-5-8-2024.

Happy ! Let's do our part to take care of home.

Thank you The Brown Daily Herald for spotlighting this important HousingWorks RI report.

resident ownership of manufactured home parks is an essential option that preserves affordable housing and increases the value and quality of our communities!

We must find ways to support residents in buying and upgrading their parks, including through legislative advocacy. Read the story here: https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2024/04/housingworks-ri-releases-manufactured-homes-report

Are you interested in helping to preserve affordable housing and developing economic opportunities for communities in Maine? Then this is the position for you! Click here to apply: https://cdi.coop/careers/cooperative-housing-specialist-maine/

CDI's New England Resident Owned Communities (NEROC) program is seeking a passionate individual to join our team as Cooperative Housing Specialist, Maine.

The focus of this position is to guide, train, and assist resident-owned communities in Maine with the ongoing management and governance of their cooperatives. This includes helping the members of the cooperatives’ boards understand their roles and responsibilities in order to work effectively as resident-owners of a complex business. We also help co-op leaders and members foster a sense of empowerment and community spirit.

The Maine Flower Collective is thriving since it launched sales in 2023. With the help of CDI, a group of growers founded the cooperative with the goal of creating a sustainable supply chain of local flowers, connecting growers who were scattered across the state with flower professionals who increasingly seek local flowers to anchor their designs. Now, they're looking to scale.

Click to read their story: https://cdi.coop/maine-flower-collective-blooms-and-grows-after-first-year/

Maine Flower Collective blooms and grows after first year – Cooperative Development Institute Maine Flower Collective blooms and grows after first year In a world where imported blooms typically dominate our bouquets and arrangements, there remains a healthy demand for local, seasonal flowers in Maine. Ranunculus, Lisianthus, dahlias, and hydrangeas are popular for

"So many out of state investors are coming in and are driving Mainers off their land, out of their houses, by just continuing to raise rents for profits," said Pat Schwebler, co-director of CDI's Resident Owned Communities Program for New England.

But Schwebler said with Maine's new law, residents have the possibility of being able to conserve hundreds of affordable homes for decades to come.

So Sandy Ossolinski and her neighbors began organizing with help from the Cooperative Development Institute. They gathered just enough signatures to form the Seacoast Village Cooperative and recently made their own purchase offer."

Read the full story here: https://mainepublic.org/business-and-economy/2024-04-03/old-orchard-beach-residents-want-to-buy-their-mobile-home-parks-for-40m-more-mainers-face-similar-challenges

Old Orchard Beach residents want to buy their mobile home parks for $40M. More face similar hurdles A few months ago, residents at two mobile home communities in Old Orchard Beach learned that their parks were being sold to an unknown buyer for $40 million. Now, the residents are trying to purchase the communities themselves. And a growing number of mobile home communities in Maine are facing simi...

Gov. Janet Mills proposed creating a $5 million fund to help residents of manufactured home parks purchase their communities when they go up for sale, as part of proposed state budget changes. The fund will help to protect residents from being pushed out of their homes or having their rents increase to unaffordable levels when a park changes ownership.

CDI’s New England Resident-Owned Communities (NEROC) Program, in partnership with Genesis Community Loan Fund, has been in talks with the Governor’s Office for several weeks to advocate for these funds, including CDI's Executive Director Pam Zagorski who will be testifying on Monday, on behalf of NEROC, to support the budget allocation.

Thanks to Maine's new Offer to Purchase Law, since December, residents of four mobile home parks in Maine – totaling more than 1,000 households – have been notified by their park’s owner of an intent to sell, according to the Governor's office. CDI’s NEROC Program’s advocacy helped organize residents and legislators to create the Offer to Purchase law that went into effect in October 2023.

Under the Offer to Purchase law, once residents learn of the park owner's intent to sell, they have 60 days to make a purchase offer and 90 day to secure financing after the signing of the purchase and sale agreement.

Gov. Mills' proposed fund will provide low or no-interest financing to entities, such as resident cooperatives, to complement other financing options to support mobile home park purchases in Maine.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/3TIhUIo

The Northeast Transition Initiative ( ) — a partnership of organizations whose mission is to expand the knowledge, resources and tools needed to support exit planning for business owners and transitions to employee ownership — selected 18 fellows from across the small business ecosystem of New England and New York State to join its inaugural Fellowship Program. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eMM6FZij

The 9-month-long fellowship will move fellows through a curriculum and projects that help each participant develop a strategic, region-specific model to support businesses and business owners in navigating the process and the option.

CDI is proud to be a NETI partner and to welcome this amazing group of fellows!

March 20 is ! We are proud to support America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), a network of nearly 1,000 SBDCs that support small businesses across the country with at-cost training programs and free strategy advice. CDI is grateful to work with America's SBDC to help our region's entrepreneurs and small businesses start, grow and thrive! Learn more about America's SBDC here: https://www.sbdcimpact.org/