[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24309]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 24309]]

                      CO-OPS IMPORTANT TO ARKANSAS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 5, 1999

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, throughout my district and throughout rural 
America, cooperatives are the lifeblood of communities. Cooperatives 
are made up of groups of people who work together to product results 
above and beyond what any one member could accomplish alone. 
Cooperatives embody the characteristics of hard work, economic liberty, 
interdependence, and togetherness that have defined American business 
and society throughout history.
  In the 1st District of Arkansas, cooperatives provide electricity, 
farm supplies, and other services and products to residents. These 
businesses generate economic activity that fuels local economies, while 
providing savings to local citizens.
  For years co-ops have provided great benefits to farms across 
Arkansas by selling fertilizer, marketing crops, and performing 
services that otherwise would be much more expensive. I am proud that 
cooperatives play such a vital part of the communities in my district. 
It is very fitting we celebrate co-ops' important contributions by 
recognizing October as National Cooperative Month.

                          ____________________