55 Years of Serving Our Members of Black Farmers, Landowners, & Coopertives

Our 3-day Forward 2023 National Heirs Property Boot Camp wrapped on Dec. 3.

We were thrilled to be in-person again!

Each year the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund targets 100 heirs property landowners to assist with saving Black landholdings during our annual heirs' property boot camp where member landowners get practical information for resolving their heirs’ property issues including an in-depth 12-month checklist to guide their efforts to clear title, create an estate plan, resolve family conflicts, professional coaching, and post-conference technical assistance on land issues, & much more.

Learn more about our siganture events

The Federation is seeking participation from Black farmers and ranchers who have been impacted by the historic Pigford vs. Glickman settlement.

We will give $100 to farmers who participate in our Pigford Research Project by Friday, December 23rd at 5 PM EST.

Email Sha'Von Terrell

Federation of Southern Cooperatives

Land Assistance Fund

Regional Outreach Specialist

October 2022

CoopEcon 2022 at our historic Rural Training & Research Center in Epes Alabama was a success!

Member Cooperatives from across the South participated in our annual education & training institute geared towards helping build & strengthen community-based enterprises.

CoopEcon is part of the Federation's efforts to build networks across the South to promote and launch sustainable cooperative economies. Our work is inspired by the rich history of social justice struggle in the South.

Family farmers and rural communities suffer disproportionately in times of disaster and economic hardship. Rural communities have less developed infrastructure, greater distances between people & services and fewer resources. These communities suffer more because the impact of disaster hurts twice as much because limited resources can't support the assistance needed and whatever support available takes twice as long to reach those in need.

Family farmers in rural communities are usually the ones positioned to assist urban communities and populations severely affected by disasters, such as COVID-19 and other economic hardships. The greatest needs in times of peril are food, water and shelter. Farmers and cooperatives are the first responders to meet these needs.

Farmers produce and distribute fresh fruits & vegetables through local cooperatives. Cooperative facilities serve as staging areas and storage for relief items sent from across the country. By working with community-based organizations such as cooperatives, farmers have the capacity to organize, coordinate and monitor these efforts via established partnerships. Additionally rural communities often serve as refuge for evacuees during various disasters.

To prosper as a country and respond effectively and equitably to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and economic turmoil, we have to industriously utilize and equip farmers as first responders. To achieve tour collective goal please see the following recommendations as solutions:

Better policies that focus on rural infrastructure and disaster pre such as a local farmer, cooperatives, and CBOS/regional systems should be identified, listed, and used as first responders in their respective communities.
Local and regional distribution systems should be developed and/or supported via local, state, and/or government funding.
Direct disaster payments to farmers and fishermen.
Cost-share programs to rebuild farm structures and infrastructure (i.e. barns, boats, docks, value-added facilities, equipment, materials, etc.)
Local disaster plans/models should be required for all counties/communities.
Greater CBO and minority-serving land grant university support to include disaster training as part of programs.