At the Local Farm our focus is people. Yes, we grow food, but there is so much more to it. In the years that we have been in operation, we have been building our infrastructure, learning the land, building relationships, and developing a vision of what we want to see in our community. Now, we are moving on that vision.

 

Luckily, we don’t have to recreate the wheel. There is a growing movement across the United States and around the world to build and sustain cooperative businesses that put people at the center of their local economies. We continue to learn from these models while developing our own approach rooted in Selma and the Alabama Black Belt.

 

Our goal is to build a community-owned food system where agriculture becomes a vehicle for food access, youth leadership, economic opportunity, community connection, and ultimately cooperative ownership. We believe that growing food can also mean creating jobs, building skills, strengthening relationships, and creating pathways toward shared wealth and economic dignity. See our history here to learn more about our lineage and the people and projects that have helped shape our work over the years.

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Currently, we are moving toward a future where the farm serves as more than a place to grow food. We are building regenerative agricultural systems and local food enterprises, expanding opportunities for young people to learn and lead, creating accessible spaces for community education and connection, and developing pathways toward thriving work and cooperative ownership. Our vision is to create a stronger local food system where people can grow, connect, share, and build a future together.