A cooperative (or co-op) is a type of business owned by and run for the benefit of those who use its services. A number of producer-owned cooperatives are familiar to millions of American consumers. Land O'Lakes, Ocean Spray, Welch’s, Sunkist -- among others --all are examples of cooperatives that market products made from the milk, cranberries, grapes, oranges and other raw materials supplied by their producer-members. These co-ops often are referred to as “producer cooperatives.” “Consumer cooperatives” sell products to their co-op members. Land O'Lakes, while primarily known as a producer cooperative to the majority of Americans because of its famous line of dairy products, also serves as a consumer co-op to many of its producer-members. Land O'Lakes sells feed, seed and agronomy products to dairy producers, farmers and ranchers through a national network of independently owned and operated local farmer cooperatives. Co-ops exist in many other areas of the economy in addition to agriculture. Credit unions are banking cooperatives. Many rural areas are served by cooperative electric and telecommunications associations. A number of insurance companies are cooperatives, and housing co-ops are gaining popularity in big cities as well as small towns.