Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund

Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund MISSION

To be a catalyst for the development of self-supporting communities through cooperative economic development, land retention, and advocacy.

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund is a cooperative association of Black farmers, landowners, and cooperatives that has been fighting to save Black-owned land with cooperative development, land retention, and advocacy since 1967.

The voice of our membership matters now more than ever. Our Mississippi and Alabama staff joined coalition partners in ...
01/22/2026

The voice of our membership matters now more than ever. Our Mississippi and Alabama staff joined coalition partners in Washington, D.C. to advocate for farmers, landowners, and cooperatives.

01/21/2026

We’re hitting the ground running in 2026! The Mississippi Association of Cooperatives has submitted our first USDA FSA loan package in preparation for the upcoming planting season.

Our purpose was born of the Civil Rights Movement and grounded in Dr. King’s unwavering commitment to liberation, where ...
01/19/2026

Our purpose was born of the Civil Rights Movement and grounded in Dr. King’s unwavering commitment to liberation, where freedom is not only the absence of bo***ge, but the presence of economic power, cultural identity, and intellectual self-determination within the Black community. This vision lives on through our work in farming, land stewardship, and cooperative economics, where ecosystems, food systems, and people are deeply interconnected and shared responsibility makes freedom possible.

Today, we honor Dr. King’s great legacy and encourage you to take part in community building, service, and reflection as we celebrate his life, his work, and his enduring call toward justice.

As we look back on the year, we’re proud of the progress made alongside our members and partners.This year, we supported...
12/31/2025

As we look back on the year, we’re proud of the progress made alongside our members and partners.

This year, we supported 75 cooperatives and community-based groups and invested $2.6 million through our Revolving Loan Fund to strengthen local ownership and cooperative infrastructure.

We supported 1,000+ Black farmers and landowners, advancing land protection, heirs’ property solutions, and USDA program access through outreach, education, and technical assistance, while moving into active participation in the USDA Heirs Property Relending Program.

Through our Advocacy Institute, we amplified member voices through national partnerships and public platforms, including participation at Essence Festival and Farm Aid, ensuring farmers are part of key policy conversations.

Through our Regional Marketing System, Federation farmers and cooperatives mobilized across Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, moving 12,000+ lbs of fresh, locally grown produce to families facing food insecurity during the SNAP shutdown.

We advanced 40 cooperatively owned housing units, strengthened resident leadership, invested in family and youth spaces, and continued developing a cooperatively governed Health and Wellness Center to expand rural healthcare access.

We advanced Rural Training and Research Center upgrades and made significant progress toward completing the Memorial Legacy Project, honoring the Federation’s history while remaining focused on long-term sustainability.

Thank you and cheers to 2026.

This past weekend, we held our 7th Annual FORWARD National Heirs’ Property Conference 2025, bringing together 200 attend...
12/09/2025

This past weekend, we held our 7th Annual FORWARD National Heirs’ Property Conference 2025, bringing together 200 attendees, including landowners, next-generation heirs, practitioners, and advocates from across the South for three powerful days dedicated to one mission: saving Black landownership and protecting generational wealth.

This Boot Camp is a core part of the Federation’s land retention and advocacy work, currently led by the Federation’s Director of Land Retention & Advocacy, Stephanie D. Banks. With a diverse slate of expert speakers and state leaders in attendance, participants explored a comprehensive set of heirs’ property solutions covering estate and succession planning, title clearing, tax foreclosure prevention, mediation, public policy strategies, plus more.

Our land is our legacy and we are committed to protecting it for generations to come.

This , we’re raising $5M to protect Black land, strengthen rural communities, and sustain cooperative power across the ...
12/03/2025

This , we’re raising $5M to protect Black land, strengthen rural communities, and sustain cooperative power across the South.

Join us as we expand our Rural Training & Research Center, grow our Revolving Loan Fund, restore the “Forty Acres and a Mule” Endowment, and deepen our land retention work for generations to come.

Every contribution, large or small, helps move this mission forward. No donation is too small when we’re building collective power.

Give today and help secure our next 58 years of impact. Visit link in bio: give2federation.org

Registration for FORWARD: National Heirs' Property Boot Camp 2025 is open!If land is in your family or in your future, t...
11/18/2025

Registration for FORWARD: National Heirs' Property Boot Camp 2025 is open!

If land is in your family or in your future, this is where you need to be.

For Black families across the South, land ownership has always been a cornerstone of stability, wealth, and freedom. Yet more than 60% of all Black-owned land is tied up in heirs' property, making it vulnerable to loss, partition sales, and outside exploitation. We cannot afford to lose any more.

The Boot Camp brings together landowners, next-gen heirs, attorneys, and practitioners to protect what generations before us built.

For landowners and families, the Boot Camp provides real tools to resolve heirs' property, strengthen estate planning, and secure family land for the next generation.
For attorneys and practitioners, it offers law, policy, and practical solutions with the option to earn CLE credit.

Black farmland once spanned up to 19 million acres. Today, less than 3 million remain. But the story is not over, and we have the power to write the next chapter.

For nearly six decades, the Federation has supported families fighting to hold on to their land. This Boot Camp continues that work.

Protect it. Preserve it. Pass it on.

Register by visiting our website link in the bio:
federation.coop/registrationheirspropertybootcamp

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) was designed to help states, tribes, and territories buy food directly...
11/11/2025

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) was designed to help states, tribes, and territories buy food directly from local and regional producers. Its goal was simple: support small and mid-sized farmers, strengthen local food systems, and make our food supply more resilient.

The USDA has canceled the next round of LFPA funding for 2025.

This funding was critical for farmers and food banks that relied on these dollars to purchase and distribute locally grown food.

Now, with SNAP benefits halted during the government shutdown, communities are facing immediate food insecurity. The loss of LFPA funding removes a key tool that helped bridge gaps in moments exactly like this.

We stand with those affected by the shutdown. In response, we are working to connect our farmers directly with food distribution systems so that communities can continue to access fresh, local food even during federal disruptions.

This week, as families face empty shelves and uncertainty, our producers in the states we serve are proving once again t...
11/11/2025

This week, as families face empty shelves and uncertainty, our producers in the states we serve are proving once again that Farmers Are First Responders™, stepping up when systems fail.

In East Alabama, farmers organized through our State Association and the Black Belt Farmers Cooperative led a true multigenerational, community-driven effort. They harvested, washed, and boxed collard greens to make sure families received fresh, nutritious produce during this critical time.

We are working with our network of partners, including Feeding America and regional food banks, to connect Black farmers directly to local distribution systems.

This is what collective power looks like.

Please join our Capital Campaign, share our mission with your networks, and contribute financially or through partnerships: https://www.give2federation.org

We’re imagining an economy rooted in community, cooperation, and shared prosperity!Sharing a throwback to Coop Econ 2025...
10/24/2025

We’re imagining an economy rooted in community, cooperation, and shared prosperity!

Sharing a throwback to Coop Econ 2025, short for Cooperative Economics! A weekend filled with learning, networking, and celebration of our shared mission to build community-owned businesses and self-sustaining rural communities across the South.

We couldn’t have done it without our engaged and motivated members, staff, and caterers who made this year’s gathering so special.

✨ Subscribe to our newsletter in bio for updates on upcoming co-op events and training sessions for 2026!

Interested in building resilient communities? 🌾This Coop Month, join us October 16–18 for CoopEcon 2025 — a three-day co...
10/10/2025

Interested in building resilient communities? 🌾
This Coop Month, join us October 16–18 for CoopEcon 2025 — a three-day cooperative education and networking event hosted by the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund!

This year’s theme, “Legacy, Leadership, Local Prosperity,” highlights the cooperative movement’s role in strengthening rural communities and creating shared economic growth across the South.

✨ What to Expect:
CoopEcon 2025 features three carefully curated learning tracks:
Leading Together (Governance)
Money, Records & Returns (Finance)
Enterprise & Innovation (Business Development)

Participants will select one track and immerse themselves in workshops that explore strategies, sustainable practices, and innovative approaches essential to cooperative success.

📅 October 16–18, 2025
📍 FSC/LAF’s Rural Training & Research Center — Gainesville, AL
🔗 Register via link in bio for agenda and workshop details.

Address

2769 Church Street
East Point, GA
30344

Telephone

+14047650991

Website

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