Dear Friends and Supporters:
2017 was a momentous and memorable year for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. In August 2017, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of our trailing-blazing social change organization serving Black farmers and other low-income and working poor people across the South.
Founded in 1967, the Federation is one of the foremost economic and social justice organizations to be developed out of the civil rights movement that has continued to operate and flourish for five decades. One basis of the success of the Federation is that we have remained true to our original mission and purposes and have continued the struggle to save land and the people living and working on the land for generations. We want to go forward into our next fifty years continuing to uphold these basic principles and beliefs despite obstacles of economic neglect, racial hostility and social deprivation.
There are four major themes of the Federation's mission, work and accomplishments over the past five decades. Our performance in these areas is key to evaluating our success and strength over this sustained period. The central themes of our mission are:
* to develop cooperatives and credit unions as a means for people to enhance the quality of their lives and improve their communities;
* to save, protect and expand the landholdings of Black family farmers in the South;
*to develop a unique and effective Rural Training and Research Center to provide information, skills and awareness, in a cultural context, to help our members and constituents to build strong rural communities;
* to develop, advocate and support public policies to benefit our membership of Black and other family farmers; and the low-income rural communities where they live.
The Federation has woven these themes together to create a strong community based movement of organizations steeped in struggle, tested by time, experienced in fighting exploitation, with a knowledge of the tactics, tools and techniques needed to help people build their own prosperity and progress. In many cases, the Federation works in conjunction with various local, regional and national organizations to implement its policy change priorities and agenda.
During the past year, we have had many success stories and significant results that have helped our member owners save their landholdings, increase income and improve their quality of life. Some examples of our work include:
* Thirty small goat producers in a hundred mile radius of the Rural Training and Research Center, near Epes, have developed the Southeast Goat Producers Co-op (SoGoCo). This co-op which now involves 1,500 breeding goats has helped members to market goats at better prices, buy feed, medicines and supplies at cheaper cost and manage herd health in improved and effective ways. The co-op is moving forward with plans for a processing plant in future years.
* The Federation supported women worker owners of
Southern Alternatives in south Georgia to reorganize their operation as a regional and cooperatively owned pecan processing facility. We helped the cooperative to purchase and process pecans from its membership and other limited resource landowners with small-holdings of pecan trees for sale on a national mail order basis.
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* The Federation's legal and mediation staff helped many families in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and other states to deal with heirs' property and partition sale problems. During the past year, we assisted several families to form family trusts/ corporations, which saved the land from being lost in a partition sale. Other staff members have assisted these same families in securing cost share resources from NRCS to plant and manage acres of forestry, which will yield a continuing return to the family over many years.
* The Federation was able to step in and stop the foreclosure of the Wendy Hills Rural Rental Apartments in Sumter County, Alabama. This prevented the loss of affordable housing for 36 very low- income families. Federation staff have been involved in applying for the restoration of HUD housing subsidies for these families and working to organize the families into a cooperative to assume ownership and management of the housing units.
* Fifty vegetable farmers who are members of the Indian Springs Farmers Cooperative in Petal, Mississippi sold over a million dollars of watermelons, peas, okra, greens and herbs to farmers markets in New Orleans, Jackson and Memphis; commercial food brokers serving the casino industry in Mississippi and many other buyers including churches, community organizations, food co-ops, tenant organizations in urban areas.
The Federation is not able to do this work alone. We rely on the support of the Federal and state governments for half of our operating budget. The other half comes from foundations, churches, cooperatives, corporations, individual donors and our membership.
We invite you to support our work with an end of year donation or monthly sustaining contribution to support our general operating budget. Checks may be sent to the: Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Fiscal and Accounting Office, 2769 Church Street, East Point, GA 30344; or you can click
here or below on the donate button to make your contribution with Pay Pal or a credit card.
The Membership, Board and Staff of the Federation wish you a Happy Holiday Season and a joyous and prosperous New Year in 2018!
Cooperatively,
Cornelius Blanding
Executive Director
P. S. Your contribution to the Federation's General Fund is very helpful and allows us to leverage other funds as well as fill in funding gaps, which other supporters do not cover. $25.00 provides materials for an estate planning worksop; $50.00 pays the phone bill for a day on our emergency hot line for farmers seeking assistance; $100 pays for part of the satellite Internet service at one of our rural offices; $500 will cover costs for a staff member to attend and facilitate a 3-day planning workshop at a member cooperative.
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