Mileston Co-operative Asociation Tchula, Mississippi c/o Mississippi Association of Cooperatives P.O. Box 22786 Jackson, MS 39205 Contact: Daisy Garrett ph: 601-354-2750; email: dollygarrett@earthlink.net

Organized prior to World War II in conjunction with New Deal programs aimed at helping depressed rural areas, the Milestone Farmers Cooperative has engaged in community development in the Missispi delta for several decades. The organization was started through a combination of residents' self-help initiatives and federal government assistance.

Coop member Griffin McLaurin, discussing the organization's history, says that "when this Coop was set up, the federal government had some workersthat taught the people to manage and do a lot of things that included coops when they came from the plantations. . ." The history of the Mileston Farmers Cooperative illustrates the legacy of these efforts.

The Coop served limited resource and minority cotton producers in several counties. At one time, there were over 300 members ranging from the Mississippi Delta to the "Hills." The Coop owned and operated a store, equipment-shop and health clinic. It also provided its members with access to one of the few black-owned cotton gins in the state.

Member farmers' primary commodity crop was cotton, although they had somewhat diversified operations that provided subsistence and income. As one member recounts, "Everybody in this community had cows, they had the chickens, they had hogs and they had big gardens that grew more than what their family needed.. ."

With increased mechanization and use of agri-chemicals, cotton production became less profitable for small-scale producers. Coop members therefore began to include other commodity crops into their farming systems, mainly soybeans. Unfortunately, they proved to be just as capital intensive as cotton, and many producers in the area focused too much attention on cotton and soybeans at the cost of diversity. As the agricultural economy was restructured, so too was the organization. The Coop's cotton gin ultimately stopped operating and many of the services the organizations provided to its members were discontinued.

Adapting to Change

There continues to be a great demand for the Mileston Farmers Cooperative in the community, and the organization is currently working to meet the needs of rural people in the 21st Century. Many of the Cooperative members have committed themselves to growing vegetables as a way to diversify their farms and capture better returns. They are marketing their produce with CISCO Food Services and farmers markets and are attempting to forge working relationships with public institutions. The organization continues to operate a small grocery store and has also developed a farmers market that sells produce from member farmers. This led members to recently begin participation in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program. The Coop also has a Youth Garden
Project. Utilizing volunteer time and funds from the Kellogg Foundation, this endeavor is providing young people with education and hands-on training in vegetable production and marketing.

One of the more popular programs within the Mileston Farmers Cooperative is the Women's Club. Started by a small group of women members a few years ago, it has expanded into an organization that produces and markets arts and crafts. The Club works together producing quilts and other cloth items, including aprons, napkins and table placemats. The Women's Club has held two craft shows to market these products, and has also sold items at the Cooperative store. Besides selling their goods, these women have held quilting workshops for others and continue to make gifts for senior citizens in the community for various holidays.

As can be seen through its history, the Mileston Farmers Cooperative believes that cooperation works, no matter what endeavor. Expressing her thoughts on the future of the Women's Club and the Coop as a whole, co-founder Ms. Davis states "Hopefully we can be successful because we're not gonna give up. . ."

"It's a good organization because we meet and we share ideas and we don't have one person trying to do everything. It's a community effort where we try to work together."

A Project of The Rural Coalition
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Washington, DC 20005
Telephone (202) 628-7160; Fax (202) 628-7165
Toll Free 1-866-RURAL-80