Free
Podcast Episode
40 minutes

Episode 59: Creating a Cooperative with Farmer Katie

A cooperative business structure can be appealing because of its democratic principles and power-sharing structure, but what does it actually look like to get one off the ground?

Katie Nixon (she/her) is a farmer and local food systems champion who has been working with and for agricultural producers for over 13 years in the Kansas City region. She is a co-owner of Green Gate Family Farm and a founding farmer /member of The Kansas City Food Hub, a cooperative association founded in the state of Kansas in 2016. In this episode, Katie takes us on a journey through the big ideas, conversations, relationships, and paperwork the cooperative’s founding members managed over five years, all of which enabled the food hub to get off the ground. Farm Commons is grateful to have worked with Katie as a member of the 2022 Collaborative Learning Fellowship.

For a full transcript of this episode, please click here.

If you’d like to get in touch with Katie about her cooperative journey, follow her @green_gate_family_farm.

ABOUT THE KANSAS CITY FOOD HUB COOPERATIVE

Founded by the farmers who own, run and supply it. The Kansas City Food Hub was founded in 2016 by a group of small farmers who envisioned a local food system that allowed farmers to move their product into restaurants, schools, homes and more. They not only wanted to feed their communities but uphold their beliefs of sustainable farming for themselves and the next generations.

Here’s what Katie had to say about her experience sharing her story of legal resilience:

What is your hope for folks who hear your story?
I hope the length and challenges of the journey I have shared does not discourage others, but instead inspires them to dig in and get dirty! The best time to start working together is now so that in 5-10 years your work can start bearing fruit.

In sharing your farm resilience story, what are you most grateful for from that experience?
It is wonderful to make the space to reflect on how I have gotten to where I am and where the farm business and food hub business are at. It was made more enjoyable by sharing and learning in the cohort of other farmers.

What did the storytelling journey illuminate for you? What are you seeing differently as a result of this experience?
The story telling journey showed and reminded me how much work and collaboration it took to get where we are at. I am so appreciative of all the people I have been able to share this journey with. I look forward to continuing the work and being part of a vibrant food system.