Steele Waseca Co-op Electric 81st Annual Meeting

On Tuesday Steele Waseca Co-op Electric (SWCE) held their 81st annual meeting. I have attended a number of SWCE annual meetings and they always have a big crowd! They set up a stage and tables in their home office warehouse and shop. Again this year Hy-Vee from Owatonna was there to grill pork shops and serve the lunch after the annual meeting. Serving a great meal always helps get people to an annual meeting!

It seems every time I go to a co-op annual meeting, I think about how they were formed. In the case of SWCE there was a need for a business to construct electric lines and provide power to rural areas. So the rural people came together and formed a business, SWCE to provide that service. Many local elevator co-ops were formed because farmers needed a business to handle their grain or provide fuel and crop inputs. You really have to admire the wisdom and foresight of the farmers of that time that came together and formed these co-op business that still exist today!