What began as an organic produce pool of farmers in the Coulee region of southwest Wisconsin has grown to become a member of the Top 100 Agricultural Cooperatives, and the largest organic marketing cooperative when farmers wanted something different than the market had to offer at that time. Exploratory meetings began in 1988 to discuss how they could market their production; organic produce, eggs and milk focusing on quality and sustainable farming practices.

In May 2021, a groundbreaking was held at the Waupun Wastewater Treatment Facility to mark the start of construction on a new Advanced Biological Nutrient Recovery (ABNR) system. Roughly 140 days later, attendees of the 2023 Algae Biomass Summit, the largest gathering of professionals in the algae and seaweed economy, were brought in by coach bus for a 3-hour, in-depth tour of the largest such facility in the country.

In Hay Springs, Nebraska, customers stream into the Farm to Family cooperative grocery store. Kids in swimsuits looking for a snack, farmers grabbing a cold drink, and parents picking up the last items for dinner come and go from the little store on main street.

Each year in October, many cooperatives pause to celebrate National Cooperative Month.  This year, the theme “Owning our Identity” focuses on what makes a cooperative different from other businesses. 

Butterflies are primary pollinators for many vegetables and herbs, helping to ensure a good harvest on Virginia farms. The delicate wings that propel them from flower to flower can carry them many miles to transform the agricultural landscape.

Though most closely associated with weather, the butterfly effect has been used to describe a broad range of situations where one small act can have far-reaching consequences. The Southside Virginia Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association is a real-world example of this phenomenon in action.

Like most people in the service industry, Lisa Raiola of the Hope & Main (HM) food incubator in Warren, Rhode Island, had to reimagine her operation due to COVID’s devastating impacts. With a 30-year career focused on distributive justice, her first move tackled area food insecurity, turning the historic HM building—once an elementary school—into a community distribution point for redirected school lunch meals. The food amount and quality, however, wasn’t suitable for multiple family meals.

Local butcher Katie Adkins suddenly found herself in high demand when New Englanders decided to take matters into their own hands to address a COVID-created food supply chain crisis. Residents started raising their own livestock on small family farms and were clamoring for local processors to deliver “prime cuts” for their tables.

Connecticut’s Farmington River has long been known for its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities but has recently gained some renown as the state’s oldest archaeological site. While artifacts uncovered on the banks near Avon offer insights into the lives of ice age inhabitants, evidence of the creativity and resilience of American farmers can be found a mere 20 miles away at Freund’s Farm Market and Bakery in nearby Litchfield County.

Named to honor a beloved family pet, an adopted black Lab-Border Collie mix, Black Dog Farm originally started with four chickens and a dream and has since grown into a successful woman-owned rural small business on a 35-acre homestead in the hills near Livingston, Montana.     

Gary and Debra Norris are your typical retirees. They spent almost 15 years renting houses in a local single family housing development so they could enjoy the amenities available in the Crossville, Tenn. area. After renting several houses over the years, they decided it was time to settle down and purchase their own home. They talked to a friend of theirs, whom all of their children had purchased homes with USDA Rural Development loans, so they thought they would give it a try. Initially, the obstacle was credit.