Part 1
For co-op curious communities
Explore cooperative ownership, then take the next step.
LaunchBox introduces the basics of cooperative ownership, governance, finance, and community benefit so your group can build shared language before moving into training, planning, or technical assistance.
Built for co-op curious groupsPlain-language cooperative basicsCertificate pathway
Program overview
What is Homegrown Prosperity?
Homegrown Prosperity is a two-year rural cooperative development initiative led by the Kansas Farmers Union (KFU), Missouri Farmers Union (MFU), and Common Ground Producers & Growers (CGPG) in partnership with NCBA CLUSA.
Supported by a 2025 grant from The Patterson Family Foundation, the initiative strengthens cooperative ecosystems and expands community-owned economic opportunities in underserved rural counties across Kansas and Missouri.
Who this supports
Rural communities and co-ops in Kansas and western Missouri.
Why cooperatives?
A different kind of business, built around members.
Cooperatives are built on principles that focus on democracy, equality, education, cooperation, and concern for community.
- 1Democracy
- 2Ownership
- 3Participation
- 4Autonomy
- 5Education
- 6Cooperation
- 7Community
Start here
LaunchBox for the co-op curious
LaunchBox helps co-op curious groups build shared language around ownership, governance, finance, and community benefit before moving into deeper training, planning, or technical assistance.
The basics you’ll build
The path breaks cooperative concepts into approachable lessons so people can explore the model, track progress, and decide whether shared ownership could fit a local need.
- Plain-language cooperative basics
- Ownership, governance, and finance
- Community benefit and local action
- Progress tracking and certificate pathway
Learning path
What you’ll learn
Move through plain-language lessons that explain what cooperatives are, how they operate, how they make money, and how shared ownership can strengthen local communities.
Part 2
How do Cooperatives Work?
Learn how governance, member roles, decision-making, and participation help cooperatives operate differently from other businesses.Part 3
How do Cooperatives Make Money?
Walk through cooperative business planning, value, member investment, and the practical pieces that make an idea financially real.Part 4
How Do Cooperatives Contribute to Community?
See how local ownership, inclusion, resilience, and community bonds connect cooperative learning to the Homegrown Prosperity mission.Ready to start learning?Go to LaunchBox
Backed by a trusted partner network
Local leadership, national expertise, and cooperative action.
Homegrown Prosperity is supported by partners who bring rural relationships, cooperative development tools, and practical market knowledge to the learning experience.
Kansas Farmers Union and Missouri Farmers Union
Grounded in community, driving opportunityTrusted rural relationships, advocacy, and local knowledge help identify needs, bring people together, and build awareness of cooperative solutions.
NCBA CLUSA
Turning opportunity into actionNational cooperative development expertise, proven tools, training, readiness support, and technical assistance from idea to launch.
Common Ground Producers and Growers
Connecting producers, strengthening marketsReal-world market insight helps communities see how cooperative development can respond to producer needs and regional food systems.