What is a Cooperative?

White County Farmers Exchange (WCFE) is a farm cooperative.  A farm cooperative is owned and democratically controlled by its membership and the people who use their services or purchase its goods, not by one outside investor. 

  • WCFE members annually elect  board members to set policy and provide direction for the management team.

  • By being a cooperative we are driven by service to meet our members and customers needs for affordable high quality goods and services.

  • White County Farmers Exchange as well as other cooperatives follow seven internationally recognized principles: 
    • Voluntary & open membership
    • Democratic member control
    • Member economic participation
    • Autonomy and independence
    • Education, training, and information
    • Cooperation among cooperatives
    • Concern for community
Cooperatives are formed by their members when the marketplace fails to provide needed goods or services at affordable prices and acceptable quality. 
U.S. Cooperatives serve come 120 million members, or 4 in 10 Americans.  Worldwide, some 750,000 cooperatives serve 730 million members.