Vital Statistics
Began Operations: 1998
Employees: 1 FTE, 3 PTE
Projected 2006 Payroll: $65,000
2005 Sales: $629,298
Current Sales (at 9/06): $872,988
Year-End Sales Projections: $1.3 million
Current Members: 6
“CDS has been extremely helpful in identifying what our opportunities are and making sure we have the tools to access those opportunities,” says Jean Andreasen, general manager of this Southeastern Minnesota dairy cooperative. PastureLand Cooperative produces seasonal butters and artisan cheeses made with organic milk from 100% grass-fed dairy herds.
CDS helped the cooperative update its business plan and receive a working capital grant under the USDA Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. “We needed to update our business plan,” Andreasen says. “We moved from an organization totally run by the farmer-members with a part-time person working twelve hours a week to an organization with a full-time manager.” The business plan was updated to reflect this next level of development, she says.
In 2005, PastureLand received organic certification for the milk produced from its three member farms. While previously marketing 100% grass-based products, the certification allows the cooperative to market through organic channels as well, representing new opportunities and increased revenues. CDS helped the cooperative capitalize on that added value by making an application to the USDA’s VAPG program, and PastureLand received a working capital grant. “The grant will allow us to hire additional staff, expand our sales and distribution base, and update our operational systems,” Andreasen notes. “By assisting us to get this grant, it has increased our organizational capacity.”
“We are very grateful for the services CDS has provided PastureLand,” Andreasen says. “Through CDS, we have access to expertise and information. They have a lot of experience in marketing agricultural products, and that expertise is extremely valuable.”
CDS Project Consultants
JoAnne Berkenkamp – Business Plan
Kevin Edberg – Grant writing
Nathan Dorn – Business Plan & Grant Writing
See more Value-Added Agriculture projects.