Using their coconut well

Here is the polished and professional version of the blog post

Title Revolutionizing Coconut Production How One Cooperative Turned 
Farmers into Agripreneurs

Subtitle From struggling farmers to thriving entrepreneurs, discover 
how a small coconut cooperative in the Philippines has transformed its memb
members' lives.

In a remarkable turnaround, a small coconut farmers cooperative in the Phil
Philippines has transformed from a group of struggling farmers selling raw 
coconuts for minimal profit to a thriving enterprise producing dozens of va
value-added products and providing steady income for its members.

The Loon Small Coconut Farmers Agriculture Cooperative, based in the town o
of Loon in Bohol, is led by 59-year-old Ma. Reina Perez, who stepped into l
leadership after moving to the province with her husband, a native of the a
area. Initially, she envisioned a quiet retirement after 35 years in the co
corporate world. Instead, she found herself leading a struggling cooperativ
cooperative in need of direction.

Established in November 2022, the cooperative existed largely on paper, wit
with farmers selling raw coconuts for little profit and doubting their abil
ability to produce higher-value goods. Perez stepped in not for authority b
but because she couldn't ignore the farmers' situation. She helped members 
define goals, assign responsibilities, and track costs. Slowly, coconuts be
became more than just crops – they became products.

From an initial 16 members, the cooperative grew to 64, producing 42 coconu
coconut-based items, including oil, soap, vinegar, and food products.

What's Behind the Cooperative's Success?

The cooperative's structure sets it apart from traditional farming groups. 
Instead of pooling all profits, Perez treats members as individual entrepre
entrepreneurs. Members are organized into five clusters, each focused on a 
specific product to prevent competition within the group.

Farmers earn income in two ways from sales of their own products and from 
cluster work, where they receive wages and profit shares. Some members now 
earn up to P13,000 per month from part-time work, while others make more th
than P20,000.

That money can buy rice and daily needs, Perez said, highlighting the sig
significant impact on farmers' lives.

The Future of Coconut Farming

The cooperative keeps only 5 percent of sales from individual and cluster p
products – enough to fund operations, training, and shared growth without b
burdening members. Members were trained to compute production costs per mil
milliliter or gram, enabling them to price products accurately.

They know their threshold, especially for bulk orders and retail. Alam nil
nila kung ilan dapat ibaba. Hindi na sila maloko (They know how much they c
can lower prices. They won't be fooled anymore), Perez said, emphasizing t
the cooperative's focus on financial literacy.

A New Generation of Farmers

Aside from added income, members save money by producing household essentia
essentials themselves. They no longer buy soap, vinegar, coconut oil, or co
condiments – they make them.

Malaking katipiran sa part ng aming farmer (That is a huge savings for our
our farmers), Perez said. That's why we're proud of them.

The cooperative's success has attracted an unexpected group young people. 
Children of farmers who once viewed agriculture as unprofitable are now joi
joining, drawn by the income potential.

Nakita ng mga anak nila na ang agriculture, ang farming may income (Their 
children saw that agriculture, that farming, has income), Perez said.

These younger members now handle packaging, processing, and product promoti
promotion at bazaars and trade fairs, bringing new energy to an aging farmi
farming sector.

Conclusion

What began as an unplanned responsibility became a shared journey – farmers
farmers learning to stand on their own, and a woman discovering that purpos
purpose does not retire. The Loon Small Coconut Farmers Agriculture Coopera
Cooperative serves as a testament to the power of community-driven entrepre
entrepreneurship and the potential for agriculture to create meaningful cha
change in people's lives.

Note I made minor changes to sentence structure and wording to improve rea
readability and flow. I also added some transitions between paragraphs to m
make it easier to follow. Let me know if you have any specific requests or 
preferences!

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.