Just a few weeks ago, the MIC Board met with Governor Carnahan for the signing of this year's Cooperative Month proclamation. Missouri cooperatives have lost a friend we join in extending our sympathy and prayers to the Carnahan family. Cooperatives headquartered in Missouri lead the list, with Farmland Industries and Dairy Farmers of America ranked 1 and 2 respectively. Other Missouri cooperatives on the list include Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc., MFA Incorporated and MFA Oil Company. Inc. AgriBank, FCB and CoBank.
More people participate in co-ops than invest in the stock market.
An estimated 78 million Americans own stock according to a 1999 study by the Securities Industry Association and the Investment Company Institute, while more than 100 million participate in cooperatives, according to the Consumer Federation of America. Reagan succeeds Jim Lindsey who is retiring. During Lindsey's tenure, AGP has become the largest cooperative soybean processor in the world, the third largest supplier of refined vegetable oil in the US, and the fifth largest feed manufacturer in North America. AGP is also involved in the grain marketing business, corn ethanol production and soybean methyl ester products. Reagan is a native of Minnesota.