Tierra Fértil Coop is a social and economic initiative that a group of Hispanic community members living in Henderson County, North Carolina, started in august 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This project stemmed from personal and collective dreams of promoting access to resources and capacity to produce food and in this way, stimulate food justice and racial equity in the local food and agricultural system.

We are all originally from Mexico and El Salvador. Even though we do not own any land and we do not have yet all the resources to invest, our purpose is to set a precedent to reclaim and recover knowledge, resources, autonomy, capacity and collective power to create a more sustainable, fair, and equitable life for the Latinx community and People of Color. 

Through a farmer cooperative that is “an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet our common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise” we are not just filling personal aspirations but prioritizing community ambitions that include food autonomy and access to healthy nutritious and culturally appropriate food. 

We started the process with little knowledge about farming, but we are making efforts to regain it and connect with individuals, organizations and local agencies to create a local supporting network. 

As Tierra Fértil Coop, we want to honor the hard work, expertise, and legacy of farm workers in Henderson County and western NC by creating an opportunity for present and future generations of Latinx people to make radical changes on the food, health, agricultural, and labor system.