Podcasts about southern cooperatives

February 6, 2025 Everything Co-op inaugurates its Black History Month series. The theme for the 2025 Black History Month, as designated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), is "African Americans and Labor." This theme emphasizes the significant and varied ways in which different forms of labor—both free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Vernon begins his of African Americans and Labor in a discussion with Julian Hill, an abolitionist and lawyer who specializes in the solidarity economy. Julian Hill is an assistant professor at Georgia State University College of Law. Hill is a teacher, lifelong learner, community organizer, artist, and attorney who knows that the world we deserve, though both possible and necessary, is not inevitable. Hill regularly advises worker cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, and small businesses on a range of matters, including governance, contracts, regulatory compliance, and corporate law matters. Hill is also known to partner with community-based organizations to co-facilitate political education and co-develop policies and campaigns. They have facilitated workshops, both in English and Spanish, on worker cooperatives and the solidarity economy with Law 4 Black Lives, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Democracy at Work Institute, the New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, among others. They have prepared and delivered testimony before both the New York State Assembly and the New York City Council on issues facing worker cooperatives and small businesses in New York City. Hill is licensed to practice law in Georgia, New York and Washington, D.C.

Everything Co-op Broadcasts Live from the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund's 57th Annual Meeting. Vernon interviews Ben Burkette, Tremelle Sherman, and founding members John Zippert, Carol Zippert and Otis Williams. The guests discuss the Annual meeting, history and evolution of the Federation, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund Memorial Legacy Project. This year marks the 57th anniversary of the Federation's commitment to supporting Black farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and underserved communities in the South. On Thursday, August 15, 2024, the Federation began its festivities for the Annual Meeting with the Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony in Birmingham, Alabama. This year the award was presented to U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn. This award is given in memory of Estelle Witherspoon, a woman whose dedication to the advancement of her community and to all humanity epitomizes the true spirit of community and cooperation. After the awards ceremony on August 15, the Annual Meeting proceeded to the Federation's Rural Training and Research Center near Epes, Alabama on August 16 and 17. At the Epes Center a panel of USDA agency leaders and specialists will present information on the latest developments in USDA programs that support Black farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and rural communities; a series of workshops and demonstrations including Cooperative Development, Marketing, Heirs' Property, and Forestry will be presented; and a discussion of plans for improving farm policies, land retention, and conservation practice will be facilitated.

July 4, 2024 Vernon interviews Julian Hill, an abolitionist and lawyer specializing in the solidarity economy. Vernon and Julian explore key insights from Julian's experience working with cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, and small businesses. Julian Hill is an assistant professor at Georgia State University College of Law. Hill is a teacher, lifelong learner, community organizer, artist, and attorney who knows that the world we deserve, though both possible and necessary, is not inevitable. Hill regularly advises worker cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, and small businesses on a range of matters, including governance, contracts, regulatory compliance, and corporate law matters. Hill is also known to partner with community-based organizations to co-facilitate political education and co-develop policies and campaigns. They have facilitated workshops, both in English and Spanish, on worker cooperatives and the solidarity economy with Law 4 Black Lives, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Democracy at Work Institute, the New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, among others. They have prepared and delivered testimony before both the New York State Assembly and the New York City Council on issues facing worker cooperatives and small businesses in New York City. Hill is licensed to practice law in Georgia, New York and Washington, D.C.

This is the second episode of a six-part series focused on the one thing everyone in our network – from farmers to policymakers, organizers to corporate partners – is laser-focused on right now: the 2023 Farm Bill.In this episode, we're joined by Dãnia Davy, Director of Land Retention and Advocacy for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and Alita Kelly, Land Organizing Director at the National Young Farmers Coalition. Throughout our conversation we'll explore some of the ways that the 2023 Farm Bill can directly address the land access crisis happening right now in the US.We end our episode with Holly Rippon-Butler, Young Farmers Land Policy Director. Holly tells us why each and every one of us should be a land advocate, how young farmers are building powerful solutions to the land access crisis across the country, and a bit about what's next for our land policy priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill. Sign up for our One Million Acres for the Future campaign here and take action by asking your Members of Congress to support the Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act.Learn more about the Federation for Southern Cooperatives at www.federation.coop.Learn more about the LASO Act here, and the Increasing Land, Capital, Market Access Program and its recent awardees here.Become a National Young Farmers Coalition member at youngfarmers.org/join for only $1/year. Produced by Jessica Manly and Evan Flom.Edited by Hannah Beal.Original podcast art by SJ Brekosky.Gratitude to Chipotle and 11th Hour for sponsoring our Young Farmers' land campaign and to the our many partner organizations for furthering this important work with us.

The Senate Agriculture Committee is inching closer to drafting a new farm bill, and many of the committee's members are working to include their priorities in the upcoming legislation. Among that group is Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock, who joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss what he wants to see from the next farm bill as well as offer his thoughts on USDA's implementation of disadvantaged producer relief.Then, Dãnia Davy with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and USDA Equity Commission co-chair Dewayne Goldmon join a panel discussion on where things stand on efforts to address long standing issues facing minority farmers and what the federal government can do to address them. Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD

Celina Ngozi is a Black/Igbo agrarian and the founder of Ala Soul Earthworks/Dry Bones Heal Bottomland, joining Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good today to talk about her food-sovereignty work and earth-based practices. Hear about the Central Texas land that has been in Celina's family since 1876 and how she, her mother and other members of their family are coming together there. Learn about heirs property and the complexities of owning, enjoying and improving the land, particularly for Black land stewards in the South. Celina talks about her work as a Land Advocacy Fellow with National Young Farmers Coalition, land access issues in the Farm Bill and why that is so important to the future of small-scale farming. Get some advice on starting a garden from scratch with no motorized equipment, as Celina has done on land that hasn't been farmed in a few generations. Celina talks about adapting her farming practices from Colorado—where she learned about growing—to this new land, climate and community. She also talks about growing culturally relevant crops on subsistence farming and market gardening scales. Stay tuned until the end to hear about community building in rural areas and—something a lot of listeners can identify with—Celina's favorite farm meal. More about Celina Ngozi Esakawu: Celina's work with Ala Soul Earthworks/Dry Bones Heal Bottomland promotes connection to the earth through Afro-Indigenous practices, creativity and nurturing community.  For a decade, Celina has grown food and worked with frontline communities to develop creative solutions to inequities in the food system. Her work includes food distribution, coordinating community agriculture programs, living on farms, promoting SNAP at farmers markets, advocating for land access, teaching African Diasporic nutrition courses and supporting local food economies across Texas.   Her multi-ethnic background informs her earth-based practices. She focuses on growing culturally relevant foods of the Global South on land that has been in her family for 150 years. She is currently developing a program for people of color that promotes (re)membering ancestral knowledge in order to support future generations of agrarians. Celina is a 2022-2023 Land Advocacy Fellow with the National Young Farmers Coalition. Links: Ala Soul Earthworks/Dry Bones Heal Bottomland One Million Acres Campaign Federation of Southern Cooperatives land retention resources

September 22, 2022 John Zippert, former Director of Program Operations for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund discusses his career in advocacy from a student working with CORE and SNCC to his work with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. John Zippert served as the Director of Program Operations for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund at their Rural Training and Research Center in Epes, Alabama, for 49 years from 1971-2018. He retired in December 2018 but continues to volunteer and serve as Program Director Emeritus for the Federation. Zippert has also worked with the Federation on the development of affordable housing for low-income people in Alabama, including development, loan packaging and construction of over 250 units of single-family housing, self-help housing and four rural multi-family projects with 126 units. John has over 50 years' experience in community organizing, cooperative and credit union development, community based economic development and rural development in distressed communities. He serves on the boards of many national, regional, state, and local organizations to support rural development activities. Zippert has a BA degree in history from the City College of New York; and has participated in numerous training sessions and courses to enhance his skills in rural development. He and his wife Carol are co-publishers of the Greene County Democrat, the weekly newspaper distributed in their home rural community. The Zipperts were inducted into the National Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2017.

Shirley Sherrod has been advocating for civil rights since 1965. This week, our host Ron gets help from Michael Sligh, longtime friend and fellow farm advocate, in interviewing Shirley about discrimination in ag. The second part of this episode features Shirley at the 2017 Domestic Fair Trade Conference. She discusses 52 years of work, including black land loss, the connection between civil rights and food justice, and the importance of racial justice in creating fair and sustainable agricultural supply chains, and more. Shirley was born in Baker County, Georgia, in 1947 to Grace and Hosea (Hosie) Miller. Her father was murdered by a white farmer reportedly over a dispute about livestock. No charges were ever returned against the shooter by an all-white grand jury. The tragic murder of her father when she was 17 years old had a profound impact on her life and led to her decision to stay in the south to work for change. She attended Fort Valley State College for two years and then transferred to Albany State College. There she studied sociology while also working for civil rights with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). During this time, she married Reverend Charles Sherrod, one of the founding members of SNCC and the leader of SNCC's work in southwest Georgia. During the 1960s, Shirley and her husband helped form New Communities, Inc. The organization acquired 6,000 acres of land and became the first community land trust in the U.S. The project encountered difficulties in the opposition of area white farmers who accused participants of being communists, and also from Georgia's segregationist governor, Lester Maddow, who prevented the federal government's development funds from entering the state. A drought in the 1970s, fertilizer suppliers selling inferior products to the organization, and the inability to get timely government loans led to the project's ultimate demise. Shirley went on to work for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in 1985 to help black farmers keep their land. In July 2010, she was forced to resign her position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after conservative blogger, Andrew Breitbart, posted video excerpts on his website of an address she gave at a NAACP event. According to Breitbart, her comments showed how a federally appointed executive racially discriminated against a white farmer. The video set off a storm of controversy and criticism of Shirley. Subsequent events showed that the posted video was taken out of context and part of broader comments that conveyed a completely different meaning. The NAACP apologized for critical comments and her boss at USDA also apologized while offering her another job, which she later declined. The interview was conducted on Dec. 15, 2017. Links this episode: National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive Pigford v. Glickman “Arc of Justice: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a Beloved Community” film Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural Members and Allies Statements and Perspectives on the Resignation of Shirley Sherrod, July 20, 2010 Charles Sherrod Community Development Corporation -------- Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Audible, Apple, Google, and more. Catch past episodes, a transcript, and show notes at cfra.org/SustainbleAgPodcast.

In this episode of All Things Co-op, Cinar, Larry, and Kevin talk with Terence Courtney, the Director of Cooperative Development & Strategic Initiatives at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, an organization focused on land retention, cooperative development, and advocacy for small black-owned farms in the Southern United States. Terence and the ATC guys discuss the unique history of black farming in the south, institutional and ideological barriers to growth, and what cooperative associations can mean for historically marginalized communities. About our guest: Terence Courtney began organizing with the Service Employees International Union to improve economic conditions for working people. He led union campaigns and later became the union's State-wide Representative in Georgia. He's co-founded and led coalitions such as Atlanta Jobs with Justice and the Atlanta Public Sector Alliance, a community group focused on the public sector. While working with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Terence organized both US-born and immigrants of African descent to educate and raise consciousness about immigrant rights and mass incarceration from a Black Diasporic perspective. He co-developed the Organization for Human Rights and Democracy and served as the Director of Organizing overseeing campaigns against school privatization, as well as its spin off project: Cooperative Atlanta. Terence currently serves as the Director of Cooperative Development & Strategic Initiatives for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives.

May 12, 2022 Vernon interviews Pamela Madzima, Alabama State Coordinator for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF. Ms. Madzima discusses the Alabama Cooperative Ecosystem, and her experiences at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF. Based at the Rural Training and Research Center in Epes, Alabama, Pamela Madzima has worked with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund for 18 years providing technical assistance and support to member-cooperatives of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund, and the Alabama State Association of Cooperatives. Ms. Madzima's primary responsibilities have included directing and coordinating outreach, and technical assistance programs to member cooperatives, and to small, limited resource landowners that are interested in forming agricultural/marketing cooperatives; and assisting cooperatives with: organizing and becoming incorporated; developing by-laws that are consistent with cooperative principles; exploring marketing outlets for value-added products; resource development; and facilitating education and training plans to assist cooperative leaders and members to function as a cooperatives. Pamela has served on various committees and led community development projects, including the Federation/LAF's Rural Development Americorps VISTA program, which placed 15 volunteers with local cooperatives in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Ms. Madzima has also served as a member of the Board of Directors and Loan Committees of Shared Capital Cooperative and the Southern Reparations Loan Fund; and as a community associate with the Black Belt Community Foundation. In 2019, Pamela was promoted to her current position as the Alabama State Coordinator with the Federation/LAF.

Everything Co-op kikced off its recognition of Women's History Month, with a focus on this year's theme of "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." In our first installment, Vernon interviews Melbah McAfee Smith, retired Executive Director of the Mississippi Center for Cooperative Development, and a 2009 inductee into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. Vernon and Ms. McAfee Smith discussed her experiences working with cooperatives to address issues experienced by the communities she worked in. They also discussed her hopes to pass on her family's legacy of farming to the next Generation of she and her brother's Grandchildren. Melbah McAfee Smith worked for nearly 40 years as a trusted co-op developer in some of the most impoverished areas of the country. She started her career with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, returning to her home state to lead the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the Mississippi Cooperative Development Center. Her visionary leadership and hands-on, grassroots approach to building communities have helped bring health care, economic development, and social justice to people in need through the cooperative model.

February 24, 2022 Everything Co-op closes out its recognition of Black History Month, with a webinar, focused on this year's theme of "Black Health and Wealth." The featured guest for the inaugural webinar were Thomas and Anita Roberson, owners of Botanical Bites and Provisions, LLC. Vernon and the Robersons discuss the role their plants, vegetables, and farm products play in the "Health and Wealth" of their patrons. Thomas and Anita Roberson are passionate fourth generation farmers who operate Botanical Bites and Provisions, LLC, a veteran-owned and operated farm established in 2013. On their farm they grow a diverse assortment of fresh farm-grown produce. Their commitment to agriculture arises from their passion for healthy living by growing with no pesticides, preservatives or herbicides. which has earned them the distinction as being a Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) enterprise. On their 10-acre farm all products are mostly hand-raised or handcrafted and naturally grown in three high tunnels, several rotating fields, or generated from their small apiary. In addition to fresh produce, Botanical Bites and Provisions offers spectacular cut flowers, honey, and value-added cosmetics from their farm, and honey and propolis from their hives. Their on-farm market accepts SNAP, and they are always welcoming new customers and friends. The Robersons are members of the Virginia Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Coalition, Virginia Farm Bureau, the Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Anita also serves on Virginia State University's (VSU) Small Farm Outreach Program Advisory Committee, and the Board of Directors for the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture Innovation and Rural Sustainability (VAFAIRS). They both serve as mentors for new and beginning farmers for the VSU Small Farm Outreach Program

Black History Month, 2-10-2021 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of Black History Month, focusing on this year's theme of Black Health and Wellness, with Dãnia Davy, Director of Land Retention & Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Vernon and Dãnia focus on farming, and the critical role that the Federation of Southern Cooperatives has played in helping Black farmers recover from the losses experienced as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dãnia serves as Director of Land Retention and Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. The Federation is the largest and oldest cooperatively-owned organization whose membership includes black farmers, landowners and cooperatives. Dãnia began her legal career as a Skadden Fellow at the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project implementing a project she designed which provided community education and estate planning services to improve Black farmers' access to legal services in the rural South. She developed the documentary - "Our Land, Our Lives: The North Carolina Black Farmers' Experience" and served on the inaugural North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council.

Clark R. Arrington, General Counsel of The Working World, Inc., a cooperative that builds cooperative businesses in low-income communities; and Senior Fellow at Seed Commons, a community wealth cooperative. He's an experienced attorney and educator who specializes in worker ownership cooperatives and socially responsible business practices. Prior to joining The Working World Inc., and Seed Commons, he spent most of his professional life teaching courses related to cooperatives, business law, and community economic development at more than half a dozen institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Beginning with a teaching job immediately after college in Chicago, he went on to The University of Southern New Hampshire, The Open University of Tanzania; and Kampala International University-Dar es Salaam College. Throughout his career, Clark has used his legal acumen to address capital formation issues for worker cooperatives, and has played a critical role in leveraging millions of dollars of new investment for social justice cooperatives. As a young lawyer he learned about cooperatives and community land trusts when he was with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Well known as an innovator in cooperative finance, Clark finds innovative ways for worker-owned, social justice-minded businesses to raise capital and be profitable without sacrificing democratic control. Clark served as Chair, General Counsel and Capital Coordinator of Equal Exchange and has also served on the boards of the ICA Group, the Social Venture Network, and the Cooperative Fund of New England. His bold vision, reliable pragmatism, and tireless efforts are key to promoting and developing innovative financing structures that are sensitive to the cooperative principles of member ownership, control and benefit.

Dãnia Davy, director of Land Retention and Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, discusses land retention; the Federation's 54th Annual Meeting; and the upcoming Heir Property Conference. Dãnia serves as Director of Land Retention and Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. The Federation is the largest and oldest cooperatively-owned organization whose membership includes black farmers, landowners and cooperatives. Dãnia began her legal career as a Skadden Fellow at the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project ​implementing a project she designed ​which provided community education and estate planning services to improve Black farmers' access to legal services in the rural South. ​She developed the documentary - "Our Land, Our Lives: The North Carolina Black Farmers' Experience" and served on the inaugural North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council.

The American agricultural system was built based on the enslavement of African people, and since emancipation, systematic discrimination against Black people within agriculture has persisted. In 1920, close to 1 million Black farmers made up about 14 percent of America’s farmers. In 2017, less than 50,000 Black farmers remained, making up just over 1 percent. In this episode, Dania Davy joins host Lisa Held to talk about the impacts of land loss, her work helping Black farmers and families keep their homes and land, and whether new policies in Washington will have a meaningful impact on the ground. Davy recently joined the Federation of Southern Cooperatives as the director of land retention and advocacy.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

In this episode of Nourish by MN350, our host Terry Hokenson talks with Collie Graddick of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and Naima Dhore, the founder of the recently launched Somali American Farmers Association. Collie Graddick discusses the history of black farming and his own family’s ties to the formation of the Co-operative movement. Naima shares how growing microgreens in her apartment eventually led her to studying the agroecology of Cuba and buying her own farm. Collie and Naima highlight the importance of community - of creating and maintaining strong communities through food and access to land - while warning of the potential of BigAg to co-opt language around sustainable and regenerative agriculture.Find out more about our guest and their amazing work: Collie Graddick is a founding member of Minneapolis food justice groups such as Afro Eco, Northside Fresh, Project Sweetie Pie, and Cooperative Table - North.You can find out more about Naima’s farm at her website https://naimasfarm.com/about/ .Full episode transcript available here.

Despite challenges like shuttered farmers' markets and restaurants, a shortage of meat processors, and the scramble to move sales online, small and mid-size farmers have demonstrated real resilience during COVID-19, even as other parts of the food system shut down. In a recent online panel produced by the James Beard Foundation and Civil Eats, host Lisa Held spoke with farmers and leaders around the country to explore how the pandemic has affected regional food systems and what it all means for the future. The conversation features Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director of The Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Dena Leibman, Executive Director of Future Harvest, Lindsey Lusher Shute, CEO/Farmer/Co-Owner of Farm Generations and Hearty Roots Community Farm, and Wendy Johnson, Farmer/Co-Owner/Manager of Jóia Food Farm and Center View Farms. This panel was part of a James Beard Foundation webinar series to support the food and hospitality industry through COVID-19. To listen to additional conversations, visit https://www.jamesbeard.org/industry-support-webinars.Image courtesy of Jóia Food Farm.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

For more than 4o years Ben Burkett has made his mark on his community and the world as a farmer, advocate and cooperative organizer for southern Black farmers. After graduating from Alcorn State University, he carried on his family legacy, and became a fourth-generation farmer in Petal, Mississippi. Vernon and Ben discuss his experiences as both a farmer, and advocate for farmers in the Black Belt. Ben Burkett has been a tireless activist, and visionary leader, who has helped farmers in rural Mississippi gain access to federal and state programs; expand their distribution; and gain access to technical assistance that allowed them to qualify for USDA farm programs. Ben also Organized neighboring farm families to expand markets denied them because of ingrained discrimination, and helped farmers preserve land ownership and optimize its agricultural use. While continuing to farm and serve as a local co-op leader, in 1978 Ben joined the staff of the Emergency Land Fund (ELF), a non-profit whose mission was to save and expand Black farms and assist Black farmers with heirs' property issues. His role was to identify and work with other Black farmers and landowners to protect their landholdings. When ELF merged with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in 1985, Ben's role was expanded to include spreading the word about the cooperative business model and he began teaching diversified crop development for conservation and marketing purposes. Ben's knack for connecting with rural communities in the South, his passion for farming, and unique ability to get things done made him a sought-after agricultural trainer. Ben was also a compassionate true leader. Following Hurricane Katrina, he Identified rural communities in need of assistance and coordinated relief efforts for farmers in Louisiana. His reputation as a farming and rural development expert garnered the attention of Mike Espy, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary of Agriculture under the Clinton Administration. Espy appointed Ben to the USDA's Farm Service Agency Committee for Mississippi and was largely responsible for the inclusion of technical assistance funds that enabled more minority farmers to qualify for USDA farm assistance. Through his work with the FSA State Committee, Ben encountered and supported Lester Spell's candidacy for Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. Key to Spell's election, Ben was appointed to the State Marketing Board where he served two terms and continues to be involved. A tireless promoter and advocate for the cooperative business model, Ben embodies the spirit of cooperation. As such, his work has received numerous awards including the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award in 2014.

In this episode, Felicia Bell, sustainable agricultural specialist at NCAT's Gulf States Office in Jackson, Mississippi, interviews Wendell Paris about the history of food cooperatives in the South and his involvement in this movement, specifically in the Federation of Southern Cooperatives.Mr. Paris is the Chairman of the Board for Panola Land Buyers Association and has been involved in the Federation of Southern Cooperatives since its inception, which took place during the Civil Rights movement. In this episode, he describes the connections between the Civil Rights movement and the beginning of the food cooperative model in the South.For more information on this topic, you can contact Felicia Bell directly at feliciab@ncat.org.ATTRA Resources:Tips for Selling to: Aggregators/Grower Marketing Co-opsSustainable Agriculture: An IntroductionATTRA's Beginning Farmer TutorialsOther Resources:Federation of Southern Cooperatives website"Land Assistance Fund Feeds Farmers' Hopes" blog post from AMISTAD Research Center Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!Southwest Regional Office: Website / FacebookWestern Regional Office: Website / FacebookRocky Mountain West Regional Office: FacebookGulf States Regional Office: Website / FacebookSoutheast Regional Office: Website / FacebookNortheast Regional Office: Website / FacebookCOMING SOON!The National Center for Appropriate Technology, in cooperation with USDA Rural Development, Montana State University, and Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE), is pleased to announce the 1st Annual Soil Health Innovations Conference. This national conference will be held at Montana State University on March 30 and 31, 2020.

In this episode, Felicia Bell, sustainable agricultural specialist at NCAT's Gulf States Office in Jackson, Mississippi, interviews Wendell Paris about the history of food cooperatives in the South and his involvement in this movement, specifically in the Federation of Southern Cooperatives.Mr. Paris is the Chairman of the Board for Panola Land Buyers Association and has been involved in the Federation of Southern Cooperatives since its inception, which took place during the Civil Rights movement. In this episode, he describes the connections between the Civil Rights movement and the beginning of the food cooperative model in the South.For more information on this topic, you can contact Felicia Bell directly at feliciab@ncat.org. ATTRA Resources: Tips for Selling to: Aggregators/Grower Marketing Co-ops Sustainable Agriculture: An Introduction ATTRA's Beginning Farmer Tutorials Other Resources: Federation of Southern Cooperatives website "Land Assistance Fund Feeds Farmers' Hopes" blog post from AMISTAD Research Center Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website. You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page. Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website. Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages! Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook Northeast Regional Office: Website / FacebookCOMING SOON!The National Center for Appropriate Technology, in cooperation with USDA Rural Development, Montana State University, and Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE), is pleased to announce the 1st Annual Soil Health Innovations Conference. This national conference will be held at Montana State University on March 30 and 31, 2020.The 2020 Soil Health Innovations Conference will bring together producers, industry professionals, educators, and students who are at the cutting edge of soil health across the country: On-farm practices, soil biology, carbon markets, and public policy. Join us for a far-reaching exploration of agriculture's sustainable future. For more information and to register go to https://soilinnovations.ncat.org/

We met with Shirley during the all-day workshop for the Farm Advocates in Farm Aid's amazing and inspiring Farm Advocate network.  Her intersection with Farm Aid began in 1986 when she was the Georgia state lead for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives at the inaugural United Farmer and Rancher Congress in 1986, in St. Louis, Missouri. Shirley's story, compassion and humility is moving and compelling.

Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Discusses the Impact Government Shutdown on Farmers on Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes. Unfortunately there are multi-layered effects of the Partial Government Shutdown. Many Black farmers in the Southern Belt stand to possibly even suffer the loss of their land. For those farmers who need to process loans through USDA, PLEASE NOTE that USDA was reopened on January 17, and will be open until January 22, to handle urgent matters. Click on the link to follow for more info: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/01/16/usda-reopen-fsa-offices-limited-services-during-government-shutdown Vernon and Cornelius discuss support that the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistant Fund, (FSC/LAF)affords to farmers in the states that they represent. The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, assists limited resource farmers, landowners, and cooperatives across the South with business planning, debt restructuring, marketing expertise, and a whole range of other services to ensure the retention of land ownership and cooperatives as a tool for social and economic justice. The overall mission is to reverse the trend of black land loss and be a catalyst for the development of self supporting communities via cooperative economic development, land retention and advocacy.

In 1920, 14% of U.S. farmers were black - today less than 2%. Land ownership by Black farmers has also declined over the past 100 years, from 15 million acres to roughly 2 million acres. These numbers are tough, but some say they would be even worse without the leadership of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Lindsey talks with Cornelius Blanding, executive director of the Federation, about Black land loss, how coops are helping black and rural communities, and their work with young black farmers. The Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund http://www.federationsoutherncoop.com/ October is National Co-op Month! National Cooperative Business Association: ncba.coop #farmbillnow Text "FARM BILL" to 40649 to support the FOTO/2501 program and other programs young farmers and farmers of color rely on. Find us on Instagram @youngfarmerspodcast

Members and Affiliates of The Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the 51st Anniversary Meeting by Vernon Oakes

Vernon Oakes and John Holdsclaw honor the memory of Ralph Paige, with many listeners, who call into the Everything Co-op to pay tribute to this tireless Civil Rights leader. Mr. Paige was the former director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. He was a consummate advocate for disenfranchised farmers, worked tirelessly to keep families and farmers on their land, and constantly promoted a more just system of agriculture. Mr. Paige played a major role in creating cooperatives encompassing many sectors, including: credit unions, agricultural, housing and worker cooperatives and alternative agricultural development for minority farmers. He worked for the Federation for more than 45 years from 1969, and served as Executive Director for thirty years from 1985 to 2015. Initially, Mr. Paige worked as a field organizer developing cooperatives among family farmers and rural residents in Georgia and throughout the South. He led measures to secure new public and private resources to support cooperative development, and in the 1970s, he served as director of the Federation's Business Development Office. From 1977-1981, Mr. Paige served as director of the Federation's VISTA project involving over 100 volunteers at 60 cooperative and credit union sites. He then became the national field director of the Federation/LAF. During his leadership, the Federation received the Martin Luther King, Jr., Humanitarian Award; a United Nations award for significant contribution of shelter to the poorer segments of the community; and the first Fannie Mae "Excellence in Low Income Housing Development Award." Mr. Paige studied extensively at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his bachelor's degree in education from Fort Valley State University in Georgia. Mr. Paige retired as Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives on February 28, 2015. Shortly after his retirement he received the 'Stanley Dreyer- Spirit of Cooperation Award' from the National Cooperative Bank (NCB) at their annual meet in in Washington, D. C. This is the highest award conferred by NCB for a person with a lifetime of achievement with cooperatives. Certainly his contributions shall be felt in the cooperative world for many years to come.

Alex Harvey is a 2005 graduate of Mississippi State University College of Forest Resources. He first began his career in Florida as a Forester before taking on a position with the U.S. Forest Service on the Allegany National Forest in Northwest Pennsylvania. Alex also took on a position as a Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program Manager for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. On today's show, Alex explains how enriching his work is, why he's building a legacy he can be proud of, and how to incorporate more diversity into forestry.   Key Takeaways: [:55] A message from Leadership Nature. [3:45] How did Alex get started in forestry? [8:40] Alex shares what it was like to get his first job in forestry. [13:25] Alex is very proud to have worked with the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities and with African American landowners in Alabama and Mississippi. [18:25] What has been the most memorable or fun job Alex has had so far? [20:40] What kind of mentors has Alex had over the years? [28:45] How can we bring in more diversity into forestry? [34:30] If you want to be successful in forestry, you have to be able to connect with people in an organic way. Nature unites us! [39:20] Why did Alex have to build trust with landowners about the forestry profession? [42:55] What kind of challenges has Alex faced as a person of color in the industry? [45:00] Alex shares some of his leadership experience and the first time he got a leadership role. [49:15] What advice does Alex have for young forest professionals? [53:50] Remember, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to!   Mentioned in This Episode: Federationsoutherncoop.com Alex on LinkedIn Crimson Tide

WERE YOU WAITING WITH BAITED BREATH FOR PART TWO?! WELL HERE YOU GO YOU PATIENT LIL LISTENERZ! this week we are spending the hour with Dr. Jessica Gordon-Nembhard and Evie Zavidow again :) Evie is the program manager of CEANYC (pronounced scenic) or the Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC, and is a worker-owner of Sunset Scholars Tutoring Cooperative (and also wants everyone to know that she is a socialist feminist!). Dr. Gordon-Nembard is a political economist and professor of community justice and social economic development in the Africana Studies Department at John Jay College, City University of NY; and author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice. She has numerous publications on cooperative economics, community economic development, credit unions, wealth inequality, community wealth, and Black political economy. YEAH, so ITS GOING TO BE GOOD. Music this week by blood stone: https://bloodstone666.bandcamp.com/ Here's some resources on this topic!: CEANIC facebook: www.facebook.com/ceanyc/ CEANIC twitter: twitter.com/ceanyc?lang=en CEANIC insta: www.instagram.com/gocoopnyc/?hl=en CEANIC website: gocoopnyc.com/donate/ Get a NYC Solidarity Economy Directory: gocoopnyc.com/store/ Grassroots Economic Organizing Newsletter: www.geo.coop Also GEO has a page about Dr. Gordon-Nembhard's book, Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, and some coverage of it: ​ www.geo.coop/CollectiveCourage Federation of Southern Cooperatives (its the major regional organization of Black cooperators and mostly rural and agricultural co-ops) - www.federation.coop Black Conference: falconworks.com/about/ Theme music as always by Brandon Payton-Carrillo

HOOO THERE JUST SIT DOWN YOU LOVELY HUMANS AND GET READY TO HAVE SOME SOLIDARITY THROWN RIGHT INTO YOUR EAR HOLES. this week AND next week, we are spending the hour with Dr. Jessica Gordon-Nembhard and Evie Zavidow. Evie is the program manager of CEANYC (pronounced scenic) or the Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC, and is a worker-owner of Sunset Scholars Tutoring Cooperative (and also wants everyone to know that she is a socialist feminist!). Dr. Gordon-Nembard is a political economist and professor of community justice and social economic development in the Africana Studies Department at John Jay College, City University of NY; and author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice. She has numerous publications on cooperative economics, community economic development, credit unions, wealth inequality, community wealth, and Black political economy. YEAH, so ITS GOING TO BE GOOD. Here's some resources on this topic!: CEANIC facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceanyc/ CEANIC twitter: https://twitter.com/ceanyc?lang=en CEANIC insta: https://www.instagram.com/gocoopnyc/?hl=en CEANIC website: https://gocoopnyc.com/donate/ Get a NYC Solidarity Economy Directory: https://gocoopnyc.com/store/ Grassroots Economic Organizing Newsletter: www.geo.coop Also GEO has a page about Dr. Gordon-Nembhard's book, Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, and some coverage of it: ​ http://www.geo.coop/CollectiveCourage Federation of Southern Cooperatives (its the major regional organization of Black cooperators and mostly rural and agricultural co-ops) - www.federation.coop Black Conference: https://falconworks.com/about/ Theme music as always by Brandon Payton-Carrillo

Vernon interviews Ralph M. Paige, the former Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund (Federation/LAF). Vernon and Ralph discussed his illustrious career, and the role cooperatives have played in the economic recovery of many communities in the United States of America. Mr. Paige has played a major role in creating cooperatives encompassing credit unions, agricultural, housing and worker cooperatives and alternative agricultural development for minority farmers. He worked for the Federation for more than 45 years from 1969, and served as Executive Director for thirty years from 1985 to 2015. Initially, Mr. Paige worked as a field organizer developing cooperatives among family farmers and rural residents in Georgia and throughout the South. He led measures to secure new public and private resources to support cooperative development, and in the 1970s, he served as director of the Federation's Business Development Office. From 1977-1981, Mr. Paige served as director of the Federation's VISTA project involving over 100 volunteers at 60 cooperative and credit union sites. He then became the national field director of the Federation/LAF. During his leadership, the Federation received the Martin Luther King, Jr., Humanitarian Award; a United Nations award for significant contribution of shelter to the poorer segments of the community; and the first Fannie Mae "Excellence in Low Income Housing Development Award." Mr. Paige studied extensively at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his bachelor's degree in education from Fort Valley State University in Georgia. Mr. Paige retired as Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives on February 28, 2015. Shortly after his retirement he received the 'Stanley Dreyer- Spirit of Cooperation Award' from the National Cooperative Bank (NCB) at their annual meet in in Washington, D. C. This is the highest award conferred by NCB for a person with a lifetime of achievement with cooperatives. Certainly his contributions shall be felt in the cooperative world for many years to come.

Vernon interviews Cornelius Blanding Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Vernon and Cornelius wdiscuss FSC's upcoming Annual Meeting, and the role the Federation plays in assisting people to help themselves through cooperatives. Cornelius Blanding assumed the position of Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives earlier this year on March 1. He began his career in development work as an economic development intern for the City of Miami Beach. Since then he has gained a broad experience base including rural, international and cooperative economic development. Blanding has worked with the Federation for the past 17 years in various program and leadership capacities to propel the organization and its membership forward. Immediately prior to his appointment he served as the Federation's deputy director. During his tenure with the Federation, Blanding spearheaded several of the program's special initiatives, including its international work in Africa, the Caribbean and around the world. He has also spent more than two decades managing diverse, rural development projects worldwide. He has worked as a small business development and management consultant; managed a $3 million revolving loan fund, led disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and a pilot urban agriculture project in Cleveland, Ohio. Blanding has also led the Federation's Cooperative Development Team working nationally and internationally to promote the cooperative movement. He developed the "Cooperative Roundtable" as part of the Federation's efforts to connect emerging and people-of-color cooperatives in the South with the more established cooperative movement in the nation. Cornelius has also served and continues to serve on various boards and committees, including the National Cooperative Business Association, Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America, Southeast Climate Consortium, Presbyterian Committee on the Self Development of People and was recently appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the Land Tenure Sub-Committee of the USDA Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers & Ranchers.

Vernon Oakes interviews Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard on Everything Coop, a weekly radio show that airs on Radio One's landmark station, WOL 1450 AM, in the Washington, DC market. Dr. Gordon Nembhard discussed her book Collective Courage: The History of African American Economic Thought and Practice. The book traces economic cooperation from the early 1700's to the present. From Mutual Aid Societies to The Federation of Southern Cooperatives.

Vernon and Melbah discuss the role women have played in the cooperative movement and in the facets of the movement that she has personally been involved with; and some of her experiences in working with groups to help form cooperatives and her personal experience of as a member of a local cooperative. Ms. McAfee Smith worked for nearly 40 years as a trusted co-op developer in some of the most impoverished areas of the country. She started her career with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, returning to her home state to lead the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the Mississippi Cooperative Development Center. Her visionary leadership and hands-on, grassroots approach to building communities have helped bring health care, economic development, and social justice to people in need through the cooperative model.Mrs. Smith was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2009.

Vernon interviews Cornelius Blanding Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Vernon and Cornelius wdiscuss FSC's upcoming Annual Meeting, and the role the Federation plays in assisting people to help themselves through cooperatives. Cornelius Blanding assumed the position of Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives earlier this year on March 1. He began his career in development work as an economic development intern for the City of Miami Beach. Since then he has gained a broad experience base including rural, international and cooperative economic development. Blanding has worked with the Federation for the past 17 years in various program and leadership capacities to propel the organization and its membership forward. Immediately prior to his appointment he served as the Federation's deputy director. During his tenure with the Federation, Blanding spearheaded several of the program's special initiatives, including its international work in Africa, the Caribbean and around the world. He has also spent more than two decades managing diverse, rural development projects worldwide. He has worked as a small business development and management consultant; managed a $3 million revolving loan fund, led disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and a pilot urban agriculture project in Cleveland, Ohio. Blanding has also led the Federation's Cooperative Development Team working nationally and internationally to promote the cooperative movement. He developed the "Cooperative Roundtable" as part of the Federation's efforts to connect emerging and people-of-color cooperatives in the South with the more established cooperative movement in the nation. Cornelius has also served and continues to serve on various boards and committees, including the National Cooperative Business Association, Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America, Southeast Climate Consortium, Presbyterian Committee on the Self Development of People and was recently appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the Land Tenure Sub-Committee of the USDA Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers & Ranchers.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking with Mircha King of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives about the Pigford case- a class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination on the part of the USDA concerning the distribution of loans and credits. Tune in to hear Mircha and Erin discuss the roots of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in the Civil Rights Movement, the history and intricacies of the Pigford case, and the changes that black farmers see twenty years after the case. To learn more about the Pigford case, visit BlackFarmerCase.com. This episode has been brought to you by Fairway Market. “What these lawsuits had asserted that the United States Department of Agriculture had systematically discriminated against African American farmers on the basis of race, which violates the 5th Amendment.” “Before Reagan left office, one of the things that he did was terminate the office of civil rights for the U.S.D.A… So for years there were stacks of boxes and boxes with claims of discrimination that no one even touched.” “We have all of these discrimination claims- we have black farmers, Native American farmers, women farmers, Hispanic farmers- and he [Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture] made a personal commitment to settle these claims.” — Mircha King on The Farm Report