Category: Specialty Topics

The annual evaluation of the general manager is a clear duty of a cooperative board of directors. It’s a very important task. An evaluation of the general manager is an opportunity to revisit the direction and performance of the cooperative. When done correctly, the evaluation process will strengthen ties between board and manager and align management with board objectives. Here are three recommendations for improving the manager evaluations at your cooperative.

1. Evaluate What Matters Most

One challenge of manager evaluation is that potentially, there is a lot to evaluate. Further, some of the manager’s duties might be hard to evaluate or observe. If you choose criteria based on the functions of management, you might develop a list like this:

Planning

• Actively and accurately assesses competitive forces
• Makes timely adjustments to the changing business environment
• Helps to craft a successful strategic approach
• Develops and implements effective timelines and goals
• Budgets for current and future operating needs
• Ensures cooperative resources are available and ready for customer use

Organizing

• Effectively hires and trains high-quality employees
• Assigns resources to their best use
• Delegates managerial duties effectively
• Plans and accommodates organizational growth

Leading

• Motivates employees toward excellence
• Cultivates board relations
• Communicates with members
• Promotes the company vision
• Mentors and grooms future managers

Controlling

• Reports financial results in a clear and timely manner
• Monitors cooperative performance
• Appropriately adjusts budgets throughout the year
• Makes staffing changes when needed
• Conducts employee evaluations and gathers employee feedback

Further, you can consider the manners in which the manager conducts their self. The manager’s personal skills, attributes, and competencies might also be important. Additional criteria might include the following:

Interpersonal

• Communication Skills
• Listening
• Empathy
• Emotional Intelligence
• Working with Others
• LeadershipMentoring
• Friendliness
• Technical
• Industrial Knowledge 
• Marketing
• Equipment Operations
• Software Knowledge

Conceptual

• Abstract Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Adaptability
• Analysis
• Diagnosing Problems
• Forecasting and Predictions
• Decision-making

One solution to organizing all these potential criteria is to consider the stewardships of the manager. Every cooperative manager has responsibilities toward the operations of the cooperative, the board, and the members. To help further, consider if your evaluation criteria are focused on the mission of the cooperative. In doing this, better questions begin to emerge:

Cooperative

1. Recruits, trains, and retains quality employees. 
2. Maintains and protects the functionality of cooperative assets.
3. Demonstrates result-driven use of cooperative funds.
4. Focuses on cooperative mission.

Board

1. Provides frequent and thorough reports of cooperative financial condition.
2. Communicates market opportunities and risks in a timely manner.
3. Interprets market conditions affecting financial performance.
4. Informs board of potential legal threats and conflicts of interest.

Members

1. Actively recruits new membership.
2. Is knowledgeable of individual members and seeks their input.
3. Promotes the mission of the cooperative to members.
4. Is focused on customer service.

2. Include Professional Development

Don’t forget that the manager is also a valuable asset to the cooperative. Your evaluation might include goals for self-improvement of leadership skills or industry knowledge.  The manager might self identify some of these goals as well as other relevant criteria for the cooperative, board, and members. Questions might include:

Manager

1. Mentors employees for future leadership.
2. Exemplifies integrity for the cooperative.
3. Listens to member-owner concerns.
4. Analyzes cooperative performance and suggests needed corrections.

3. Give Evaluation the Time it Deserves

Successful manager evaluation is not an annual event – it is a year-long process. When your board approach to manager evaluation is to invite the manager in to award a bonus, or take them to lunch, or any other solitary event, you are failing to protect the cooperative. Proper evaluation starts immediately following the prior evaluation by establishing the evaluation criteria for the coming year. This is to be agreed upon by board and manager. Monthly board meetings should take time to revisit and assess the evaluation, noting evidence of performance. Executive sessions are useful times to briefly discuss management performance and discuss any needed adjustments to evaluation criteria, or management actions. At the end of the year, the board chair can ask for an evaluation from each board member and the manager.  Doing this will help to elevate the annual evaluation to a constructive process for both cooperative and manager. 

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Park, John. “Evaluating the Cooperative Manager.” Southern Ag Today 5(5.5). January 31, 2025. Permalink

A recently updated national study of Google Search terms highlights the importance of “Local Food.” Food supply chains are complicated and vary substantially across products and places. Still, several trends in people’s online searches are striking and may have important implications for farms and food businesses looking to position their products in the U.S. food market.

While “Local Food” had been experiencing a steady upward trend before the COVID-19 pandemic, search interest spiked significantly during the past three years. Similarly, “Cottage Food” experienced an even more significant spike in search activity, reflecting high interest in artisanal and specialty foods. Cottage foods are specific types of foods made in an individual’s home kitchen. Because many of these foods must be sold in person directly from the producer to the end consumer, they are also often locally produced and sourced. Over the past two decades, “Local Food” and “Cottage Food” reached their peak popularity in 2024 (Figure 1).

These trends may follow and motivate efforts undertaken by state departments of agriculture to promote local farm and food products in their respective retail settings.  While not identifying the values driving these search choices, they point to potential opportunities for local food merchandising strategies that convey an authentic local connection to consumers.  

Searches for “Online Groceries” and “Home Gardening” saw an uptick in 2020 as consumers sought a better handle on how and where to get food. Interestingly, the search interest for these terms has not continued, as consumers return to in-person grocery shopping, and time, financial, and other constraints continue the trend away from home gardening.  

The underlying drivers motivating these searches may be inflation-conscious consumers’ desires to get the most out of their food dollars. The positive trend and recent popularity of “Food Waste” searches also point to potential opportunities for farms and food businesses to continue or improve their messaging around efficient production, upcycling, gleaning and food bank donations, and other efforts to help people access high-quality and nutritious foods.

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Woods, Tim, and Alba J. Collart. “Where Does My Food Come From? What Google Searchers Want to Know.” Southern Ag Today 5(4.5). January 24, 2025. Permalink

The challenges associated with current labor shortages, availability of diverse job opportunities, and creation of employment pathways are well understood. Can the US deliver effective workforce development programs in ways that work for all?  The answer is a resounding Yes! However, designing effective employment programs and pathways that work for employed and unemployed community residents is not obvious or straightforward. Skill gaps vary according to geography (Moretti, 2024). The propensity to look for jobs and the availability of job opportunities varies across states and cities. For instance, workers entering job markets in states with strong economies will likely find work. Further, labor markets for manual and unskilled work tend to be localized, while professional positions attract job seekers from everywhere. 

Many jobs require skills training beyond high school but not a formal degree. This creates a misalignment of skills, and training opportunities for those in-demand skills are often inaccessible to the citizens who need them most. This is true for Texas and many other states. Skills training has emerged as a pressing demand to address the challenges facing workforce development in the nation today. Workforce development stakeholders typically consist of employers and federal, state, and local governments. Employed residents are sometimes included in some of the planning and implementation of workforce development programs. However, unemployed residents are often overlooked or left out in the planning and design of workforce development initiatives. Moreover, offering support services, such as childcare or eldercare, can increase the participation of women in the workforce. Underscoring these trends, it is becoming clearer as to why some regions and cities have prospered more than others.

Finding jobs that match our talent, pay well, and align with individual preferences significantly enhances our quality of life. Regions with strong economies offer a better quality of life. In contrast, low-resourced communities face more complex challenges in developing the local economy. Community members also face disparities related to health and well-being, access to public and private services infrastructure, and the quality of their physical and material environments (Bernard et al., 2022). For example, commuting to work daily or access to healthcare requires reliable transportation, and its absence can limit one’s ability to take advantage of existing resources. The availability of and access to resources and constraints to be overcome by community residents need to be examined from a region-specific and localized focus. Health and social inequalities play an important role in shaping well-being and employment challenges facing community members. Thus, the choice between workforce development and well-being is far from neutral. 

My research shows that addressing the well-being needs of residents plays an important part in fostering a local ecosystem that, in turn, supports the community in addressing its workforce development needs. Thus, it is important to consider the well-being of community members to reshape and harness the full potential of our work environments. To succeed with workforce development programs, we need to refocus our priorities on well-being. When the health and well-being of community residents are fostered, they show up for work, take less leave, have the confidence to perform well in their jobs, and ensure the safety of their workplace. Investing in skills training enhances the health, quality of life, and economic success of residents and the broader community.

References

Moretti, E. (2024). Place-based policies and geographical inequalities. Oxford Open Economics, 3(Supplement_1), i625-i633.

National Skills Coalition. (2022, May 12). Skills mismatch. https://nationalskillscoalition.org/skills-mismatch/

Bernard, J., Steinführer, A., Klärner, A., & Keim-Klärner, S. (2023). Regional opportunity structures: A research agenda to link spatial and social inequalities in rural areas. Progress in Human Geography, 47(1), 103-123. https://doi.org/10.1177/03091325221139980

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Alagaraja, Meera. “Harnessing Workforce Development and Well-being in Communities.” Southern Ag Today 4(52.5). December 27, 2024. Permalink

A cooperative grocer is a store format that has been around for many years and plays a unique role in community food systems.  These stores are shopper owned, shareholders that capitalize the stores initially and receive a patronage based on the amount of shopping the do.  The National Cooperative Grocers Association reports 165 member co-ops managing 240 storefronts in 37 states – a combined sales over $2.5 billion (NCG, Oct 2024).  While more stores tend to be located in the upper Midwest and coastal states, there are strong co-ops across the South.

Stores typically place a strong value on local sourcing, sustainability, wellness, and bulk buying – many had roots in older community buying clubs.  And while they tend to be much smaller than regional or national chains, they are quite nimble as they seek to serve the community and local shopper-owners.

Table 1.  Food Values from Different KY Shopper Segments

A recent study of shopper values in Kentucky reflects a common difference in food values seen in many food co-ops – a stronger emphasis on community, the environment, and wellness.  This generally translates into unique retail product offerings and merchandising around these concepts, including a high value for local and sustainable food connections.  Many of these stores, with their smaller size, are better suited to work with smaller supplier vendors and serve as great entry points into wholesale markets.

These grocers, while technically independent, often work together through the National Coop Grocers on issues like governance, capitalization strategies, and advocacy issues.  Their commitment to their shopper-owners, vendors, and communities provides a unique platform for these ventures to bring value to the food world not generally found through other store concepts.

You can learn more about the National Cooperative Grocers Association and some of the food co-ops near you at their website: https://www.ncg.coop/about-us

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Woods, Tim. “Cooperative Grocers Positioning Strategically to Deliver Community Value.” Southern Ag Today 4(51.5). December 20, 2024. Permalink

The pecan is one of the most eaten fruit nuts in the USA, with a per capita consumption that increased in the past decade from 0.35 lbs. (2012) to 0.61 lbs. in 2021 due to its nutritional value and improved marketing strategies (USDA, NASS, 2024). Prior to the 2024 hurricane season, there was an 8% decrease in the production of the improved variety of pecan in 2023 compared to 2022 (USDA, NASS, 2024). Georgia, the established number one pecan producing state (USDA, 2019) was badly hit by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which affected both production areas, crop loss, and tree loss concomitantly (Sawyer, 2024). Reports show that the state of Georgia suffered a loss of 36 million pounds, an estimated 75% pecan crop loss which is estimated at $6.46 billion loss to the Georgia Pecan Industry due to Hurricane Helene (Flood, 2024). With such a huge volume disappearing from the total production, both consumption and future production will be impacted. 

Pecans have many health benefits (Royalty, 2024) and multifaceted uses including eating it raw or fresh as a snack, baking, salads, and cooking exotic cuisines such as pecan-crusted chicken, lamb, fish, and the famous pecan pie, etc. 

Pecans have a key spot in the festive season. Decreased production area, crop loss, and tree loss translate into an immediate shortage in the domestic and export markets, respectively. 

Consequently, consumers should expect higher pecan prices during the upcoming holidays and festive season. For instance, early-season pecan halves prices were $7 to $8 per pound this year, compared to $4.50 to $5.50 per pound last year (Haire, 2024).  Moreover, the industry will also experience a long-term shortage due to the number of trees that were knocked down, losing about 36 million pounds, equivalent to 48,000 acres, with an estimated value of $6.46 billion loss to the entire Georgia Pecan Industry.  Despite the USDA, ERS (2024) preliminary ending stock of slightly over 70 million pounds shelled, and the anticipated decrease per capita consumption of 0.51 pounds in 2024 compared to 0.67 pounds in the 2022/2023 crop season, the huge production decrease from Georgia due to Hurricane Helene will be felt in the pocketbook of pecan lovers and consumers this and next year.   In addition, the injuries sustained by surviving trees will require time to fully recover, thus putting upward pressure on consumer prices due to persistent shortages (Towfighi, 2024; Haire, 2024).  

With the US 2023 population of 334.9 million, the USDA, ERS (2024) preliminary domestic availability of 171 million pounds will be difficult to achieve and place upward pressure on prices paid for pecans across the pecan market value chain. 

References

Flood, E. (2024).  Pecan Farmers Suffer Devastating blow from Hurricane Helene.  Agriculture Dive News, Online: https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/hurricane-helene-pecan-farm-crop-damage/729603/  Accessed December 1, 2024.

Haire, B. (2024).  “Pecan farmers see high prices for meager crop”.  CAES Newswire, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, UGA Cooperative Extension. Online: https://newswire.caes.uga.edu/story/2143/pecan-prices.html (November 04).  Accessed December 5, 2024.

Royalty Pecan Farms (2024).  “The Power of the Pecan: 7 Health Benefits That Make This The Best Nut on Earth” Online: https://royaltypecans.com/pages/the-power-of-the-pecan-7-health-benefits-pecans , Accessed December 5, 2024.

Sawyer, A. (2024).  Southeast Georgia Pecan Damage from Hurricane Helene. University of Georgia (UGA), Pecan Extension, CAES.  Online: https://site.extension.uga.edu/pecan/2024/10/southeast-georgia-pecan-damage-from-hurricane-helene/  (October 10).  Accessed December 1, 2024.

Towfighi, J. (2024).  “Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia’s pecan harvest. Farmers are on the brink”. CNN Business, online: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/09/business/hurricane-helene-impact-georgia-pecan-farmers/index.html (November 09).  Accessed December 5, 2024.

USDA/ERS (2019).  Pecan Production. National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Online:  https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/fruit-and-tree-nuts/ Accessed December 1, 2024.

USDA, NASS (2024).  Pecan Production. Agricultural Statistics Board, ISSN: 2640-0014.  Online: https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/5425kg32f/nv936p236/00001m546/pecnpr24.pdf  Accessed December 1, 2024.

USDA, ERS (2024).  “Pecans: Supply and Availability (Shelled basis), 1980/81 to date”.  Online: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/fruit-and-tree-nuts-data/fruit-and-tree-nuts-yearbook-tables/ Accessed December 5, 2024. 

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Fonsah, Esendugue Greg. “Preparing Consumers for Anticipated Soaring Pecan Prices During Holiday Season.” Southern Ag Today 4(50.5). December 13, 2024. Permalink