Dairyland and its member cooperatives kicked off National Co-op Month with the 2nd annual Cooperative Day of Service on Oct. 2. (Photo: President & CEO Brent Ridge joined nearly 50 volunteers from Dairyland and Vernon Electric at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve in La Farge, Wis., for brush clearing, trail work and triathlon prep.)

Dairyland coordinated six service projects with 200 volunteers throughout its service territory and joined forces with employees from member cooperatives to showcase the cooperative principle, Concern for Community.

“Concern for Community and Cooperation Among Cooperatives are core principles of the cooperative business model,” said President and CEO Brent Ridge. “Today’s efforts really take that commitment to another level. I am truly inspired by all the good work the employees and volunteers from Dairyland and our member cooperatives will complete in just a few hours today. This is the ‘Cooperative Difference’ at work and we are excited to lead this event to kick-off National Co-op Month.”

Projects included:

• Beaver Creek Reserve | Fall Creek, Wis. – Brush clearing around property/trails, mulch areas on property, take down erosion staircase, trail work, clean-up / refresh cabins, staining/painting, work in gardens, split wood
  • Participating co-ops: Dairyland Power, Eau Claire Energy, Dunn Energy, St. Croix Electric
• Gramercy Park | East Dubuque, Ill. – Brush clearing on North Bluff of park
  • Participating co-ops: Dairyland Power, JCE Co-op
• Humane Society of Burnett County | Webster, Wis. – Upgrade cat rooms, painting, animal socialization/care, cleaning, etc.
  • Participating co-ops: Dairyland Power, Polk-Burnett Electric
• Kickapoo Valley Reserve | La Farge, Wis. – Trail work/invasive clearing, installing snow fence, moving bleachers and picnic tables, canoe cleanup on Kickapoo River, additional prep for upcoming event (put up tents, rope-off transition areas, etc.)
  • Participating co-ops: Dairyland Power, Vernon Electric
• Oxbow Park/Zollman Zoo | Byron, Minn. Holmen, Wis. – Winterization (new mulch, clean out exhibits/flowerbeds, trim vegetation), tree clean-up, wood splitting/stacking, shop cleaning/painting/washing windows, sort pallets and scrap metal.
  • Participating co-ops: Dairyland Power, People’s Energy, MiEnergy
• Sackett Lake | Medford, Wis. – Painting picnic tables/roof lines of structures, sealing floors, taking down trees, replace posts on pavilion, supports on gable ends, edging/shouldering the road into the parking lot.
  • Participating co-ops: Dairyland Power, Taylor Electric, Jump River Electric