CDS is offering a free, four-part training series from January 21–February 4, 2026, for startup producer cooperatives, funded by a Regional Food Systems Infrastructure grant from the MDA. Registration is free—please join us! Session 1: Capper-Volstead Essentials: Legal Foundations for…

Leslie Watson, Executive Director Here is a PDF version of this year-end summary and donation pitch: CDS – Dec 2025 newsletter Bedrock federal funding for cooperative development was dramatically restructured this year, and the entire cooperative development field felt the…

CDS is delighted to welcome our newest staff member, Julia Chamberland, who has joined us as a Cooperative Development Specialist. Among other things, Julia will be supporting our revitalized Small & Strong program for small food co-ops, our Employer-Led Childcare…

Minnesota is blessed with vast wind resources; the majority of the state is suitable for commercial development of distributed wind projects. Last fall, CDS entered into an agreement to support the efforts of the Minnesota Farmers Union and the National Lab…

Andrea Collins In June, Andrea Collins joined CDS as our Finance & Donor Program Specialist. Andrea brings over 30 years of experience in small nonprofit administration, finance, and governance, along with a great sense of humor, number-crunching superpowers, and a…

As I complete my first trip around the sun as Executive Director, I’m humbled by the trust placed in me to steward this remarkable organization, and by the supportive and interconnected network of cooperators around the country that buoy CDS…