Collaborative business formation for working with other farmers and food businesses

As farmers look to work together to market their products, the question arises of the best way to create formal business relationships. This webinar will cover some basics on a variety of business entities available, including LLCs, corporations, and cooperatives. We will discuss some of the questions and considerations that help guide the decision of which specific structure a group should use. We will also consider the basic process and timeline for forming a cooperative in order to give participants a sense of what it takes to develop a co-op relative to other structures.

Chris Bardenhagen comes from a farming background, growing tree fruit, organic hay and grains, and raising small scale poultry. He went back to school and is currently finishing PhD in agricultural business organization, having studied French food branding structures such as the Label Rouge and 'Appellations d'origine'. He is a lawyer licensed in the state of Michigan and focuses his work on local and regional food system business development.

Interested participants must register* by visiting:
bit.ly/farmcollaboration - this virtual presentation is being hosted through Zoom.
*Only registered participants will receive the recording of this presentation.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining this presentation. Once you are registered, you have the option to join using an internet-ready device with the Zoom application installed or by calling from a phone.

Contact Daniel at daniel@crosshatch.org or (231) 714-9730 for registration assistance or Zoom technical assistance in advance of this presentation.