Media advisory:

Plans to bolster Massachusetts cranberry industry to be announced

12/6/99 A news conference is planned for Friday, Dec. 10th at 9:00 A.M. where Jonathan Healy, Massachusetts Commissioner of Food and Agriculture and Jeffrey LaFleur, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association will announce two "new programs designed to ensure the future viability of the state's cranberry industry" . The programs will provide short-term conservation plans and low-interest loans for efficiency improvements to help cranberry growers to weather turbulent economic times.

The news conference opens the symposium ""Plotting the future of your cranberry business" (see article below, right column). Contact: Emily Sperling, 508-295-4895 ext. 12 or Diane Baedeker Petit, 617-626-1752. Location: Sheraton Inn, Plymouth, MA.

Web sites:

U-Mass Cranberry Experiment Station online with new Web site

12/6/99 The University of Massachusetts Cranberry Experiment Station, located in Wareham, now has a Web site. The "Cranberry Newsletter" published by the Station, which has scientific articles and other news of interest to those in the cranberry industry, and the I.P.M. Newsletter are now readily available online. Also included is information on events and meetings, and staff with their email addresses. You can log onto the Web site HERE.

Is Ocean Spray a cooperative in name only?

12/2/99 The Ocean Spray Board of Directors has rejected the option of selling the marketing portion of the company to a larger corporation, and elected instead to remain a cooperative. In view of this decision it is time to consider what it means to be a cooperative, not only legally, but from a philosophical, ethical and cultural perspective.

The new Board and CEO should reflect upon the definition and principles of a cooperative adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance in their General Assembly on Sept. 15, 1997.  (The International Co-operative Alliance is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents, and serves co-operatives worldwide.)  They owe it to the shareholders of Ocean Spray to ask themselves whether Ocean Spray will remain a cooperative in name only, or which elements of the definition and principles below they will choose to sacrifice.

Definition: A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically- controlled enterprise. Values Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self- responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Principles: The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.

1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.

3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.

5th Principle: Education, Training and Information Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7th Principle: Concern for Community Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

Easy to print version | Source: International Cooperative Alliance

Second look:

Juices in the 21^st Century: A Futuristic Vision of the Global Fruit & Vegetable juice Industry
James E. Tillotson, Ph.D., MBA
Professor of Food Policy & International Business, Tufts University

12/7/99 Editors note: If I had to select the single most important article published in Cranberry Stressline, this paper by James Tillotson would be my number one choice. While Dr. Tillotson does not mention cranberries once in the paper, there is no doubt that he understands our industry having worked at Ocean Spray for many years. 

Tillotson's view of the future for the international marketing of beverages is a bright one; but only for those companies with the vision to aggressively and creatively move into the global marketplace. Smaller companies who don't ally themselves with the global giants that will dominate the world market are at a distinct competitive disadvantage.

Read this article vital to the survival of both Ocean Spray and the entire cranberry industry HERE.

Revised story:

"Plotting future of your cranberry business" topic of conference

Boston Globe reporter scores Ocean Spray in article

Editor's note: Since publication of the article below, Stressline has learned that Ocean Spray was never asked to provide a speaker at the conference "Plotting the future of your cranberry business." The headline inferring that the cooperative was "conspicuously absent" suggested that they were asked to do so. This is not true. See addition in bold below.

12/4/99 The Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, along with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Dartmouth; First Pioneer Farm Credit; and the Southeast Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership, are sponsoring a conference for cranberry growers in Plymouth on Dec. 10.

Experts scheduled to speak are Jeff LaFleur,  Executive Director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association; Jay Healy, Commissioner of the Mass. Dept. of Food and Agriculture; Ira Bryck, Director of the U-Mass Family Business Center; David Farrimond, director of the USDA Cranberry Marketing Committee; Michael Richard or Senecehal, Jorgenson, Hale & Co.; William Kiernan, V.P. from First Pioneer Farm Credit; Ann Hudson of Carlin, Sharron & Rosen LLP; Peter Beaton of Cranberry Growers Service; and Allan Robinson from U-Mass Amherst Dept. of Finance and Operations Management.

According to the Globe reporter Davis Bushnell, "conspicuously absent from the speakers' podium will be officials of Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., the Lakeville-based cooperative owned by 900 cranberry and grapefruit growers." However, according to Jeff LaFleur, who organized the conference, Ocean Spray was never asked to provide a speaker and when asked to do so for other conferences, has  always been accommodating.

Jeff LaFleur, is quoted in the Globe as saying: ''their growers are represented through us.''

Spokesman Chris Phillips from Ocean Spray is quoted ''we'll have a group of people from around our system at the conference.''

Read Boston Globe article here

Media

Middleboro - Lakeville weekly takes the pulse of the Cranberry Capital: concludes "Ocean Spray's 'wave ride' leaves local growers cold"

12/2/99 The Middleboro Gazette covers local news in Middleboro and Lakeville, home of the Ocean Spray Cooperative headquarters and home as well to numerous Ocean Spray employees and cranberry grower/owners. Editor Jane Lopes has covered the community for many years. The headline for the front page article, republished here, reads "Ocean Spray's 'wave ride' leaves growers cold." It begins:

"Ocean Spray's decision to ride out the current crisis in the cranberry industry makes little sense to many local growers, who are predicting rough seas ahead."

CONTINUED | Easy to print version