September 2021 Edition of Montana Grassroots

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commercial product will be in the freezer and available for their consumers. The founding Board of Directors was established from the steering committee who took the cooperative from concept to reality with the help of the Montana Cooperative Development Center (MCDC). Together, they built the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, which will serve as the organization's foundation. The initial Board of Directors is Jess Alger, Eric Bergman, Brett Debruycker, Paul Neubauer, Ben Peterson, and Walter Schweitzer. Director positions will be elected at the first annual meeting by all common stock owners. This annual meeting date will be determined once twenty or more producers have pledged their membership and agreed to purchase a common stock certificate.

SEPTEMBER 2021

day, the facility is expected to be consistently processing animals. Having gone from concept to cooperative to functioning facility in just over a year is truly remarkable. Once operating full-time, the MPPC will be focused on fixing Montana's food resiliency issue firsthand.

The first 50 founding members get a discounted membership price of $3,000 if paid now, or 5,000 if paid over time. Once the cooperative reaches 50 members, the Common Stock share will be sold at 5,000. Individuals are only allowed one share, but it will provide a voting and owner membership to the cooperative. Member/owners will vote in the Board of Directors. Additionally, once annual harvest scheduling is developed, members will be allowed first rights to the slots available to The facility itself should begin breaking allow them year-round planning and member ground by October, with first-run animals rates for kill fee and cut & wrap. going through the process by the end of the year. Although 2022 most likely will not be MPPC is also offering Preferred Stock shares operating at full capacity of 15-20 head per at $1000 per share. Individuals are allowed to

APPLICATION FOR THE FARM AND RANCH STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK MINI-GRANT PROGRAM NOW OPEN The application for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Mini-Grant program is now open! This program was created to address mental health needs in rural communities and the agriculture industry through the use of mental health speakers, workshops and new or expanding trainings that support emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The overarching goal of the Mini Grants Program is to facilitate and support outreach activities by providing a range of services, including speakers, trainings, workshops, and support services that will directly improve agriculture-related stress and agricultural suicide prevention for Montana. I have attached guidelines for the program.

purchase unlimited Preferred Stock. Preferred Stockholders are not considered owners but investors in MPPC. As such, Preferred Stock owners will receive annual dividends based on the facility's success, but they will not have voting rights.For more information on the Montana Premium Processing Cooperative, please check out mtpremiumprocessing.com or contact Matt Rains at the MFU state office at 406-452-6406.

SAVE THE DATE! NFU CONVENTION FEB. 27-MARCH 1, 2022 DENVER, CO NFU Convention will gather family farmers and ranchers from across the country, industry professionals and notable speakers. It provides NFU members and attendees the opportunity to learn, collaborate and grow through thoughtful discussions and breakout sessions. Attendees will have new learning opportunities this year while maintaining a focus on the issues that matter most to our family farmers and ranchers, such as the farm economy and providing meaningful support to the men and women who feed, fuel, and clothe us. Montana Farmers Union will vote on delegates to send to the national convention at the MFU State Conention in October.

You can apply here: https://funding.mt.gov/ This work is supported by the USDA NIFA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture(NIFA).

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