Cooperative Resources International (CRI), headquartered in Shawano, Wis., is a member-owned holding cooperative formed in 1993. During the cooperative's formation, it was the nation's first direct link between a dairy herd improvement (DHI) organization and a provider of artificial insemination (A.I). Today, CRI is comprised of three subsidiaries each of which leads a different sector of production agriculture.
AgSource Cooperative Services
In 1959, predecessors of AgSource formed to provide dairy herd improvement computer processing and field association services. In 1967, the first soil laboratory was opened followed by the first forage and grain testing lab in 1978.
Soon after the formation of CRI, the DHI predecessor organization known as the Wisconsin DHI Cooperative changed its name to AgSource Cooperative Services.
Since 1993, AgSource purchased the first food and environmental lab. The cooperative has also expanded its services outside of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin adding facilities in Jerome, Idaho and Lincoln, Neb.
Genex Cooperative, Inc.
At the time CRI formed, the cooperative's A.I. organization was known as 21st Century Genetics. In early 1995, Noba, Inc., a cattle breeding cooperative based in Tiffin, Ohio, joined CRI. Noba and 21st Century Genetics had been working together under a marketing agreement since 1993.
In mid-1995, Federated Genetics, headquartered in Ithaca, N.Y., 21st Century Genetics and Noba, Inc., began representing each other in their respective marketing areas. Then, in 1996 Federated was renamed Genex Cooperative, Inc. and became the third A.I. organization to join CRI.
It was not until 1999, CRI delegates voted to consolidate the three A.I. subsidiaries into a single organization to be called Genex Cooperative, Inc. Genex provides bovine semen, service and programs throughout the United States and Canada. The International Division of CRI provides similar products across the globe.
Central Livestock Association
Central Livestock Association was formed as a commission firm at the South St. Paul, Minn., stockyards in 1921. In 1999, following a positive vote by Central Livestock Association members and CRI delegates, Central Livestock became the third CRI subsidiary.
Today, Central Livestock has market locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Bringing Central Livestock into CRI expanded available services in both beef and dairy production that promise producers higher-yielding, more consumer-desired products. It provided a "one stop" opportunity for genetic inputs, feeder marketing and placement, access to management records, financing, slaughter marketing assistance and the recording of data for selection of the next generation.
Grassroots Governance
Each CRI subsidiary is governed by an operating board of directors. Producer members within each subsidiary elect fellow members to serve as delegates. Delegates elect directors for their subsidiary and provide input to their subsidiary board. The CRI board is comprised of members from each subsidiary board of directors.
