Cooperative membership is cooperative ownership. Members have a say in how the cooperative is run, working together for a common goal. While cooperatives resemble other businesses and are usually incorporated under state law, cooperatives have two unique characteristics: 

First, they are owned and controlled by the members who use their services, rather than outside investors.  These member-owners elect the cooperative's board of directors, who set policy and oversee the business.  

Second, members share in the cooperative's earnings. The cooperative's benefits (including services received and earnings allocations) are distributed to the member-owners on the basis of how much they use the cooperative. As member-owned businesses, cooperatives operate for the benefit of their members, rather than earning profits for investors. 

Cooperatives allow people to work together to meet challenges and solve problems that are too big for them to overcome as individuals. Cooperatives are organized to improve members' bargaining power, reduce costs, obtain products or services that might otherwise be unavailable, expand new existing market opportunities, develop priorities for effective political action, and maximize members' income potential.   

The cooperative generates jobs in the local community, supports economic development and helps to keep wealth local.

*Customers are not required to be members, however, they do not qualify for the benefits of membership.