September 2026
By the time you read this issue of Cooperative Living, it will have been a few weeks since our association’s 82nd Annual Meeting. This year’s theme, “Honoring Our Past — Energizing Our Future,” gave us an opportunity to celebrate 250 years of our nation’s history and 80 years of this magazine serving our cooperative community.
Why do we spend so much time looking back? Because remembering where we came from reminds us who we are. The cooperative spirit that helped bring electricity to rural America still guides us today: neighbors working together to meet the needs of their communities and build a better future.
This month’s Cooperative Living offers plenty of reminders of how far we’ve come. We continue our look back at eight decades of the magazine while highlighting the people, values and traditions that remain at the heart of our cooperatives.
You’ll also find stories about cooperative communities caring for one another, from helping families facing unexpected challenges to working together to keep farmers and workers safe. We explore the rich history of bluegrass and country music, born in Virginia and now enjoyed around the world. And because community is at the heart of the cooperative experience, this issue includes our annual guide to the fairs and festivals that bring our communities together each fall.
Our electric cooperatives have evolved into sophisticated 21st-century energy businesses, but the values our founders envisioned remain as relevant as ever. We are proud of where we came from, grateful for the people who built this cooperative legacy and excited about what comes next.
Together, we can honor our past while energizing a future where our rural communities and suburban towns preserve what makes them special while embracing new opportunities.
That is the Cooperative Way.
Brian S. Mosier, President & CEO
Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives