Blue Diamond Growers and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op may not appear to have much in common. One processes and markets a leading California export crop -- almonds. The other sells organic fruits and vegetables and other specialty items locally. What they share is a similar philosophy: the cooperative approach. Until now there's been little structured communication between agricultural and consumer cooperatives. That will change Oct. 21 and 22 when leaders from some of the region's most successful cooperatives meet to tour facilities and learn how different cooperatives meet members' needs. According to Mahlon Lang, director of the UC Davis-based Center for Cooperatives, California has more than 6 million cooperative members who directly generate more than $12 billion for the state's economy. The two-day event includes tours of farms, packing and processing facilities affiliated with agricultural cooperatives, as well as cooperatives set up to meet other needs, such as food, housing, credit and daycare.