Federation of Southern Cooperatives
Land Assistance Fund

Southern Alternatives 
Agricultural Cooperative, Inc. (SAAC)

     SAAC women are members of the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative (SRBWI), which promotes the first human rights agenda in the United States aimed at eradicating historical race, class, cultural, religious and gender barriers experienced by southern rural black women. 

     SRBWI operates in 77 counties across the black belts of Alabama and Southwest Georgia and the Delta in Mississippi, many areas which are considered the poorest in the rural south.

SRBWI Mission

To nourish the internal capacity of women to take responsibility for their own lives, personally and externally; To engage women in advocacy and policy initiatives; To engage women in an economic and community development agenda that includes workforce development and builds linkages with women’s groups committed to economic and social justice.

Georgia SRBWI

     The lead organization for Georgia SRBWI’s 42 counties is the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education in Albany GA.  These women represent Georgia SRBWI in Lee County (Smithville, GA) and have taken the initiative to start a local group called Smithies Women on the Move.  This motivated group has led voter registration drives, was sponsored to get a mobile home and obtained funding to start a successful community after school program that has been serving Lee County for 3 years. 

     The decision to operate the pecan processing facility is just the next step for these inspired women as they utilize the Federation of Southern Cooperatives resources to grab hold of SRBWI’s mission to empower rural women and bring about economic and community development. 

Narrative written by Mikhiela Sherrod, SRBWI Coordinator/Organizer
For more information and to place orders visit us at: www.federation.coop
or www.southernalternativesag.com