Farm406

29 farm406 e biggest challenge has been employing butchers. At big meatpacking plants, an employee learns one process along the assembly line. MPPC needs fully skilled butchers. To meet this need, the co-op plans to join with Montana State University-Northern in opening a program where students learn the full spectrum of butchering. It is a good skill to have and provides a good living wage. Presently MPPC has 26 common stock members who own the cooperative and have the right to vote, select the board of directors, and receive patronage from profit when the cooperative is doing well. In addition, MPPC has raised money through preferred stock. Preferred stockholders do not have any ownership or voting rights in the cooperative but are investors and receive dividends first when the cooperative is profitable. Since MPPC is an agricultural cooperative, common stock members can only be producers, but the cooperative can accept anyone to be a preferred member. Common stock members will have first right to use the plant to process their cale. e pledge to become an early-bird common stock member is $3000 for the first 30 common stock members. e membership then jumps to $5000. A preferred stock without voting rights is $1000 a unit with dividends payable on stock at a rate to be set by the Board of Directors. MPPC will be meeting the needs of Montana producers and bolstering Montana food security by supporting a hoof-to-plate business model. "e long-range goal is to use this processing plant as a prototype for other plants across Montana. Labels on the meat from these plants will give Montanans peace of mind by knowing where their meat is raised and processed," said Schweitzer. Montana cattle on the Mannix Ranch being moved to pasture. Photo courtesy of Old Salt Co-op montanafarmersunion.com

• Cover