|
New Co‑op Spotlight: Dendroyka Takes Root as Wisconsin’s Newest Worker Cooperative
|
|
|
|
Dendroyka is the company behind Landscape, a software platform that supports land stewardship and conservation management. Landscape is used by nonprofit land trusts, international conservation organizations, government agencies, private companies, and universities. After starting as a small LLC, Dendroyka converted to a worker cooperative with four employees in 2025. They received a Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Cooperative Development Grant along with support from ICA Group and the UW Center for Cooperatives (UWCC). ICA Group assessed the feasibility of the conversion and structured the sale of the LLC to the new cooperative. UWCC supported the conversion by helping draft articles of incorporation, bylaws, and a membership agreement, and by providing governance training and mission/vision/values facilitation. Dendroyka also received legal assistance from co-op attorney West Foster.
|
|
|
|
We are thrilled to welcome Dendroyka as Wisconsin’s newest worker cooperative. With deep experience in land preservation and stewardship, the team has created a powerful and innovative web and mobile application used by conservation professionals across the country.
|
|
|
|
The group has been a pleasure to work with and are passionate about what they do. Why “Dendroyka?” Founder Caleb Pourchot, who describes himself as a recovering bird lister (someone who keeps detailed, organized records of every bird species they have seen or heard) chose a phonetic spin on Dendroica, a now-retired genus of wood warblers (e.g., Dendroica fusca) familiar only to those with older field guides.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meet our 2026 Graduate Student Scholarship Awardees!
|
|
|
|
Danielle Burke is a PhD candidate in the Department of Design Studies in the School of Human Ecology. Her dissertation explores the largely forgotten Handicraft Movement (c.1930-1950) through a crowdsourced directory assembled by the Department of Agriculture. The directory documents networks of craft practitioners, supporters, and promoters across the contiguous U.S. and Puerto Rico and provides evidence that cooperative principles were at the core of the Handicraft Movement. Through a theorization of "aesthetic ecologies," her dissertation emphasizes the world-building potential of the postal service, locates unarchived objects and neglected social histories, and examines the role of materiality in placemaking. By contributing to scholarship on art and democracy, this project asserts that making can promote civic participation because it enlivens the senses in everyday life.
|
|
|
|
Emily Schkeryantz is a third year PhD student in Civil Society and Community Research at the School of Human Ecology. Her research examines how contemporary U.S. textile and fiber cooperatives navigate the opportunities and challenges of developing and sustaining alternative textile economies, with particular attention to how cooperative values shape organizational responses to environmental and labor challenges.
|
|
|
|
May Pannchi is a Ph.D. student in the Environment and Resources Program at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. She is committed to environmental research and education that promote sustainable action and empower communities, with more than 10 years of experience in Myanmar and along the Thailand-Myanmar border. Her research focuses on immigrant farmers from Myanmar, especially Chin and Karen communities, and examines how cooperative values such as shared labor, mutual support, and collective decision-making influence farming and food systems in the U.S. Through community-based and ethnographic research, she emphasizes informal cooperative practices in land use, seed sharing, and collective marketing to inform more inclusive and culturally responsive cooperative and agricultural support programs.
|
|
|
|
Taesoo Choi is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. His research examines how milk quality and quality standards within dairy cooperatives shape both the prices cooperatives receive from processors and the prices transmitted to farmers in the Ugandan dairy sector. Through this work, he aims to better understand how cooperative organization and quality-based incentives can improve market access and outcomes for smallholder farmers.
|
|
|
|
The Graduate Student Scholarships for Research, Outreach, and Training on Cooperatives honors Dr. Ann Hoyt and Barbara and Thomas Lyon. Dr. Hoyt is internationally recognized for her innovative research and contributions to co-op governance and education. Thomas Lyon was an agriculturalist, a cooperator, and a former University of Wisconsin Board of Regents president. The Lyons established the Barbara and Thomas Lyon Scholarship Fund in 2013 to support graduate students with an expressed interest in cooperative business.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CCMA Comes to Tacoma: A Cascade of Cooperation Begins
|
|
|
|
|
|
This year’s theme, A Cascade of Cooperation: Building Community Power in a Time of Change, underscores the essential role that cooperatives play in fostering resilient, people-centered communities. Grounded in democratic ownership and guided by shared values, co-ops are uniquely positioned to help communities not only navigate change, but thrive in the face of it.
Kicking off the conference, Tandy Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of National Co+op Grocers, will deliver a keynote address on the evolving landscape of the food cooperative sector. Tandy will explore what’s ahead for retail food cooperatives and offer insights into leadership, collaboration, and adaptive strategy in a rapidly changing environment. Her remarks will help set the tone for the conference and spark meaningful dialogue throughout the event.
|
|
Tandy Harvey, CEO, National Co+op Grocers
|
|
|
|
What to Expect at CCMA 2026
This year’s conference is packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and energize your work in the cooperative sector:
- Inspiring Keynote Speakers: Hear from thought leaders and sector experts as they explore the most pressing issues and emerging trends in cooperative retail and beyond.
- Engaging Breakout Sessions: With 25 sessions led by cooperative peers, attendees will dive into best practices, innovative approaches, and lessons learned from across the movement.
- Co-op Tours: Experience Tacoma’s cooperative ecosystem firsthand with visits to local co-op stores, community organizations focused on food access, and organic producers in the region.
- Networking & Social Events: Build connections with fellow cooperators through a variety of interactive, relationship-building activities.
- Community Boards: Participate in topic-specific discussions that encourage collaboration and idea-sharing among peers with shared interests.
- In-App Peer Networking: Continue the conversation beyond the conference sessions through a digital platform designed to help attendees connect and exchange ideas.
|
|
|
|
Join Us in Tacoma!
Whether you're a longtime leader in the food co-op movement or just beginning your cooperative journey, CCMA 2026 offers an invaluable opportunity to learn, collaborate, and be inspired. Together, we'll explore how the collective power of cooperation can build a more sustainable and equitable future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Collaborative Effort Advances Home Care Worker Cooperative in Bayfield County
A homecare worker cooperative is taking shape in Bayfield County, bringing together local leaders, statewide partners, and national cooperative experts to strengthen the region’s caregiving workforce. Supported by funding from the Respite Care Association of Wisconsin, the effort is being locally organized by Extension Bayfield County Educator Kellie Pederson and local community members with guiding technical assistance from the ICA Group and the UW Center for Cooperatives (UWCC). The ICA Group completed a market and feasibility study confirming both the need and the opportunity for a worker‑owned homecare enterprise in the county.
Bayfield County is administering a grant that provides stipends for the founding administrator and steering committee members, ensuring that early leadership has the support to establish the cooperative. A founding administrator has been hired and is actively developing the business plan, while caregivers from the region are applying for positions on the steering committee that will guide the cooperative’s launch. Steering committee members are expected to serve as founding worker owners of the cooperative business.
As the steering committee begins its work, UWCC will provide hands‑on technical assistance to help members draft bylaws, establish governance systems, and build a strong foundation for democratic ownership. This work is especially timely in Bayfield County, where an aging population and increasing demand for in‑home support have created urgent workforce shortages. Worker‑owned homecare cooperatives have demonstrated higher caregiver and client retention than conventional agencies, offering a promising model for stabilizing and strengthening care in rural communities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Update on Senate Bill 21/Assembly Bill 17: Supporting Employee Ownership
In a tremendous show of bipartisan support, AB 17 passed unanimously in the Wisconsin State Assembly last June. In January, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue held a public hearing on SB 21.
AB 17/SB 21 provides incentives to business owners to sell their businesses to employees through tax credits and capital gains deductions. It also recommends the Department of Revenue create an outreach and education program by applying for a federal grant. UWCC sees this as a favorable bill given the high number of businesses in our state with owners at or near retirement age, the risk of losing businesses and jobs in our communities, and the benefits of employee ownership.
The University of Wisconsin’s Division of Extension registered in support of the bill. Kristin Forde Hurckes from UWCC provided testimony at the Senate Committee hearing alongside partners and fellow cooperators - including Wisconsin Center for Employee Ownership’s new Director Joe Sapp and UWCC’s former Advisory Board Chair Ole Olson from Isthmus Engineering. All public testimony was overwhelmingly in favor of the legislation.
The Bill is still awaiting a vote in the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue. Encouragement from constituents will increase the likelihood of it passing out of committee and moving to the Senate for a vote. Please consider contacting your legislator to speak about the value of employee ownership and cooperative businesses. You can use this map to find contact information for your legislators.
|
|
|
|
Training for New Employees of Cooperatives
April 22, 2026, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
April 29, 2026, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Zoom
|
|
|
|
This training is designed for employees of cooperatives seeking to deepen their understanding of the cooperative model. By the end of this training, attendees will have a stronger grasp of the cooperative identity and its impact on communities and economies.
This training is only for cooperatives based in Wisconsin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CCMA 2026
May 28-30, 2026
Tacoma, WA
Join food cooperative directors, management, staff, and sector allies for a conference focused on highlighting issues impacting the cooperative movement.
|
|
|
|
Kamp Kenwood
Summer 2026
Chippewa Falls, WI
WFU Kamp Kenwood is a joyful summer camp where kids learn how the world works—together. Through hands-on activities exploring cooperatives, food systems, and conservation, campers build the skills to become confident civic leaders who care about their communities and the planet. Each day is packed with outdoor fun like swimming, hiking, and kayaking, all while making new friends and learning the power of cooperation. Campers leave with a deeper connection to nature, their neighbors, and their own ability to make positive change. Register for summer 2026 today!
|
|
|
|
Board Ready: A Training Series for New Co-op Directors
Sept. 15- Oct. 13, 2026
every Tuesday from 10 am - 12 pm CT
Zoom
Designed for newly elected or first‑time cooperative directors, this series builds essential governance skills through sessions on director roles and responsibilities, cooperative finance basics, and tools for effective board performance.
|
|
|
|
|
