Nascent Cooperative Network in Buffalo: Farmers and Builders

A group in Buffalo is laying the groundwork for a network of worker cooperatives, housing cooperatives, and urban gardens.   

Their draft network chart:

The Farmer Cooperative will help us share resources, including joint equity in the land we use to grow our food.  Initially, this cooperative will hold ownership of 30 vacant lots in two clusters. Each cluster of lots will be leased to the groups of individuals who will work together to cultivate the land for their own purposes. The cooperative will also facilitate sharing equipment needed for cultivation and composting, as well as bulk purchasing.  The initial members of the cooperative include the urban farms below and the Wilson St Farm….

The Builder Cooperative will be a worker cooperative that will function similar to a development company and a general contractor.  The resources to complete development projects will be a combination of the sweat equity of worker-owners, investment from people who will use the property, and investment from the community. The joint equity resulting from each project will reflect the amount of labor and monetary contributions made during the development effort.