Rooted in land. Grown by cooperation.
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives helps Black farmers keep their land, build cooperative businesses, grow healthy food and pass power to the next generation — from Georgia to Mississippi, Alabama to Louisiana.
About the Federation
Born from the movement, built for the land.
Founded in 1967 by civil rights leaders, farmers and organizers, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund is one of the oldest and most trusted Black-led rural organizations in America. We unite small farmers, landowners and cooperatives across the Southeast to stop land loss, create jobs and feed our communities.
From heirs-property legal clinics to farmer training, from marketing co-ops to youth apprenticeships — we turn collective ownership into collective liberation. Our Rural Training & Research Center in Epes, Alabama sits on 1,200 acres of living classroom.
Land is freedom. Cooperation is power.
We envision thriving Black rural communities where families own land, control food systems and build wealth together. Every workshop, loan fund and harvest moves us closer.
Self-determination, sustainability, solidarity.
Democratic control, concern for community, education and cooperation among cooperatives. We farm organically, pay fairly and share knowledge freely across generations.
Programs that keep land & build wealth
Six pillars, one goal: Black farmers thriving on their own land. Click Join to access any program.
Land Retention & Legal Aid
Wills, estate planning, heirs-property cures, title searches and USDA discrimination claims. We saved 8,400 acres last year alone.
Co-op Incubator
From bylaws to business plans: we launch farm marketing co-ops, food hubs, housing and worker co-ops with seed grants.
Farmer Training Center
12-month apprenticeships in Epes, AL: organic growing, tractors, irrigation, beekeeping, business and certification.
Markets & Food Hubs
We aggregate collards, peas, okra, sweet potatoes and meats for schools, hospitals and our mobile markets.
Youth & Next Gen
Young farmers 18-35 get land access, mentorship, stipends and leadership in the Southern Youth in Agriculture network.
Policy & Advocacy
Farm Bill, debt relief, credit access. We bring farmers to testify and organize Black Belt town halls.
Impact across the Black Belt
Acres protected in 2025
Through titles cleared, wills written and partitions prevented.
Paid to farmers
Via co-op sales to schools, food banks and wholesale buyers.
Farmers trained
Organic certification, business planning and equipment use.
Keep their land
Of families completing our 2-year retention program.
“They saved my grandfather’s 80 acres.”
“The Federation lawyer came to our church, traced our heirs, wrote wills for my mama and aunties, and stopped a forced sale. Now my kids farm it.”
— Ms. Delores Blakely, Wilcox County, Alabama
Member since 2011 • Freedom Farmers Co-op
Meet our co-opsA timeline of resistance
22 cooperatives unite in Montgomery. Goal: economic freedom through collective ownership.
1,200-acre Rural Training Center purchased in Alabama as living laboratory.
Emergency land-saving loans stop hundreds of foreclosures across the Black Belt.
Federation testimony helps win landmark $2B discrimination settlement for Black farmers.
Youth apprenticeships, climate-smart grants and regional food hubs expand to 12 states.
Black farmers lost 90% of their land in the 20th century — from 15M acres to under 2M. The Federation exists to reverse that theft, acre by acre, deed by deed.
Our member cooperatives
From vegetable box schemes to credit unions — democratic businesses owned by the people who use them. Profits stay local.
Freedom Farmers Co-op
Alabama • 42 growers • collards, okra, peas for schools and CSA boxes.
Black Belt Credit Union
Mississippi • $3M in fair farm loans • no predatory rates, ever.
Southwest Housing Co-op
Georgia • 68 affordable homes • resident-owned, solar-powered.
Fresh from the field
Harvest reports, legal wins, training dates and farmer spotlights. Click any story to read the full article.
No news yet — check back after harvest.
We publish training dates, policy updates and co-op wins every week.
Own land? Want land? Belong here.
Membership is $50/year for individuals, $150 for cooperatives. Includes legal clinic, training discounts, market access and a vote in our future.
- ✔ Free heirs-property review + will drafting
- ✔ Sell through our food hubs & CSA network
- ✔ Youth scholarships & equipment rental
Become a member
We reply within 2 business days. No spam, just soil.
Come to Epes
Rural Training & Research Center
575 Federation Road, Epes, AL 35404
Open Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm CT • Tours every first Saturday
Contact the Federation
Phone: (205) 652-9676 • Office hours Central
Email via form below — organizer on duty.