OUR MISSION

Freedom Farms Cooperative is an urban farming worker-owned cooperative based in West Jackson, Mississippi. It is named in honor of the Freedom Farm Cooperative started by civil rights organizer and activist Fannie Lou Hamer in the late 1960’s. Freedom Farms specializes in producing high quality, naturally grown, easily accessible and affordable vegetables and fruits for community consumption and development. Freedom Farms currently produces on 1/2 acre of land in the emerging Fannie Lou Hamer Community Land Trust, held by Cooperation Jackson. Freedom Farms specializes in naturally grown vegetables, and fruit production.

OUR APPROACH

Agroecology & Afroecology

Our farming practices stem from Agroecology and Afroecology. We farm in a manner that’s in right relationship with the planet and with one another, tapping into regenerative African cultural farming practices, transforming and healing our relationship with land and food.

Access & Sustainability

We ensure our community has access to fresh, naturally grown vegetables and fruits produced in ecologically sustainable ways. Together we enjoy the very real benefits of having water, land, seed, and labor accessible to ourselves and our community.

Food Sovereignty

We believe in Food Sovereignty, which is our operative objective; growing food to feed people in our community, irrespective of corporate interests and markets. With access to these essentials, we have the capacity to feed and nurture one another.

ANCHORS

Imani Olugbala

Sis. Imani Olugbala comes from a long line of farmers/healers. Her personal journey with growing natural food came out of necessity to feed her family of nine. She applied her knowledge gained from her Mother and uncles to grow food for not her family but other families in her community. Understanding the relationship between the earth and the celestial bodies helped her to have a bountiful garden for many years. Sis. Imani is also a holistic health practitioner who studied under the late Dr. Llaila O. Afrika, specializing in herbal medicine. She has been active in her neighborhood organizations and was also President of Acorn in Mississippi. She is a professional cellist, visual artist african dancer and storyteller. She came to Cooperation Jackson as an Anchor for Freedom Farms Co-op in April of 2019 and was later promoted to Program Coordinator and serves as a member of its Executive Committee. Sis. Imani also represents Cooperation Jackson and Freedom Farms Co-o as members of the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives (MAC), Federation of Southern Cooperatives (FSC-LAF), Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON), National Black Food and Justice Alliance (NBFJA), and the Climate Justice Alliance’s (CJA) Food Sovereignty Working Group. She is a lover of her community, family and culture, supporting, teaching and inspiring Black youth to grow food, which many times enhances their curiosity and grows an appreciation for nature.

Andrew is a transplant form Albany, Ny and has been raise here in Jackson since he was six years old. He was educated in the school system in Jackson but found that it did not stimulate any passion for learning in him, so in his junior year at Lanier High School he decided to do an internship at BlackHills Health and Educational Center. The internship opened his mind to organic farming, massage therapy, personal health, and the history of the Black Hills in general. He spent a year and a summer at the center. In 2013 he made the move back to Mississippi and worked with members of the Malcom X Grassroots Movement. Canvassing with his new comrades, Andrew passed out flyers for the Jackson Rising conference at Jackson State University. It was during this time that he heard of Cooperation Jackson. He was taken by the concept. The idea of building and strengthening the community and embodying self determination through a worker owned cooperative was an exciting and novel idea for Andrew, and he strongly aligned with the mission, so he joined the team. Since then, he has placed most of his time and energy into the Cooperation Jackson project. He loves to work with people who have vision.