A sense of belonging Stories help to promote common Co-op bond

Sometimes this column is a catch-all — a space to share stories that don’t quite fit elsewhere in the magazine, but still hold appeal for our readers.

The account of Bill Riner’s ocean adventure on page 22 would have been a good candidate for this space, but would’ve been impossible to share here because of its length. The thrilling journey that took Bill around the world is a bit unusual for The Cooperator, but, in my view, that’s part of what makes it interesting. And he is indeed a member of the Co-op family. Bill is the husband of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC) General Counsel Elizabeth Foss. The couple lives in Nashville and enjoys a backyard menagerie of chickens, rabbits, and cats at their Davidson County home. Elizabeth also helps her family maintain their farm in Cleveland.

You will find another extraordinary profile of Sumner Farmers Cooperative employee Brownie Lemons on page 12. Brownie has worked for the same Co-op for 60 years this past September. TFC is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year and Brownie missed only 20 years of that impressive span. In an authentic demonstration of the Co-op Driven to Serve brand statement, he says he still gets up every day motivated to take care of the farmers in his community.

We take our responsibility to share the stories of our Co-op community seriously and we are privileged to get to do this important work. The stories in each issue connect us and promote a sense of belonging that brings us a little closer together as neighbors and friends with a common bond through Co-op. Not only is that vital to our business, but it is also something our country and world could use a lot more of. We get to share in our subjects’ triumphs and achievements, while learning about the struggles and the challenges they have overcome. Finally, I’d like to extend a big “Thank You” to those of you who have signed up for our new digital version of The Cooperator. We’ve received some nice compliments on the platform over the last few weeks but let me remind you — this is NOT a replacement for the printed magazine. Though we have always offered a digital version of The Cooperator on ourcoop.com, this is an enhanced version that provides even more content and a different way to enjoy our stories. We hope you will help us spread the word about this new platform. You can view it at www.ourcoop.com/the-cooperator.

Happy reading!

Story by Glen Liford,

Contact gliford@ourcoop.com