Freedom Farm Cooperative

Freedom Farm Cooperative was an agricultural cooperative in Sunflower County, Mississippi, founded by American civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in 1967 as a rural economic development and political organizing project. The cooperative sought to uplift Black families through food provisions, such as vegetable gardens and pig-raising, and through community support, such as housing development and education. By providing food and financial services that the U.S. government systematically denied Black communities as a means of oppression, the cooperative allowed Black families to be self-sufficient. With reliable food and housing, the community was able to more freely participate in politics and protest. This cooperative is a foundation for modern food security and food justice movements.