Member News > November 2020 > More workers are needed in small towns -- here's how our cooperative helps fill those gaps
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More workers are needed in small towns -- here's how our cooperative helps fill those gaps

In the latest episode of the Something Greater podcast, we explore how the cooperative works for some of its members -- quite literally -- in recruiting talent to local businesses

The Something Greater Podcast On An Iphone

Core to being part of a cooperative? The tangible benefits of working together. The business knows you. You know the business. Which is why Land O’Lakes helps its local cooperative members find the talent they need in their small rural communities.
It's about rural vitality. When farmers do better, their local communities thrive. And part of our work in recruiting talent for local cooperatives means attending dozens of university events each year to attract students to the agricultural industry. It also means using online job boards and partnerships to put more candidates in front of our local ag members and expanding the candidate pool nationwide.
It is not unlike recruiting for any company but our focus isn't just on the job -- it's about what the job can mean to a small town. Introducing a new family to a small community. New students to a school district. And a whole lot more.
A single person has the power to bring so much growth and vitality to a town.

From the episode

"Anytime you get a new family moving into the area, a new worker that certainly is a plus, right? That is what comes to mind for me keeping the small towns young, vibrant." 
–Luke Daninger, Agronomist at Ag Partners.
"This really is a good partnership between someone like Ag partners, or other local Ag businesses we have in our network. There are a lot of options and opportunities out there. We connect people around the country to those opportunities, often in small towns.”
–Nick Koewler, Land O’Lakes, Inc. Recruiting and Human resources.
Join host Kim Olson and Luke Daninger who is an agronomist at Ag Partners, a Land O’Lakes Member in Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin. Also, Nick Koewler who works in Human Resources and recruiting at Land O’Lakes, Inc. to talk about the unique role we play in recruiting for rural vitality.

About the Something Greater podcast

The podcast is available in the member Connections newsletter. You can subscribe through iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever podcasts are available -- be sure to subscribe and rate each episode.