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Restoring Grasslands, Strengthening Ranching: Why the RANCH Act Matters for the Great Plains

Audubon Society - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 14:29
Across the Great Plains, grasslands are the foundation of thriving ranching operations, healthy wildlife populations, and resilient rural communities. Yet these critical landscapes continue to face...
Categories: G3. Big Green

Summer Camp Highlights in the Great Plains

Audubon Society - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 13:43
A summer full of sunshine, adventure, discovery, and a little bit of dirt under the fingernails! Check out what our campers explored this summer at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, Iain Nicolson...
Categories: G3. Big Green

Op-Ed | Women Farmers Are Shaping the Future of Food and Agriculture Systems

Food Tank - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:50

It’s early morning outside Perryville, Arkansas. A scissor-tailed flycatcher is perched on the fence, cattle are grazing in the bottoms, and Sam Noble begins her day in the chicken brooder at the Heifer Center for Regenerative Agriculture.

There is nothing unusual about a woman starting her day this way. Women have always farmed. They have raised livestock, managed farms, saved seed, sold food and cared for the land. What has changed is that we are finally getting better at seeing them.

That visibility matters.

Sam is Heifer USA’s Poultry Coordinator, and she is part of a growing number of women farmers and ranchers across the United States. Since 2002, the percentage of women producers has increased steadily. According to the USDA, women represent over 36 percent of all U.S. producers.

Some of that increase is about how we count. In 2012, the USDA changed the way it collected census information, allowing farms to identify more than one primary operator. That simple change made women’s contributions more visible in the official numbers.

But the numbers are catching up to something many of us working in agriculture have known for a long time: women are already doing the work… and have been doing so for a long time.

Being counted is one thing. Being recognized is another. Even today, Sam and the other women livestock managers at Heifer USA encounter the assumptions that come with being women farmers. Sam’s response isn’t to try to prove that she can farm like a man.

“To me, being a woman farmer doesn’t mean proving that I can farm like a man. It means I get to define what a good farmer looks like.”

Agriculture doesn’t need women to change who they are. The world needs to make room for different ways of knowing, different approaches to managing land and livestock, and different concepts of what a successful farm looks like.

The critical role rural women play in agriculture is evident across the Americas, and it is important to hear their voices. We recently spoke with women farmers in parts of Ecuador, Honduras, and Mexico.

Their stories are different because their circumstances are different. But the common threads and challenges are there. Access to land and markets, the effects of a changing climate, the importance of family and community. These women are making their way even if the systems around them don’t make it easy.

In the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico, land is never just land. Yumara Salas Ramírez is helping raise the visibility of women coffee producers. Chiapas produces 41 percent of Mexico’s coffee, but women hold only about a quarter of the land rights. Women also face challenges that range from sexism and violence to the effects of a changing climate.

At the Sierra Azul Cooperative, Yumara is the first woman to serve as the cooperative’s secretary and handles incoming green coffee. But she also works with women producers to market coffee under their own brand.

Yumara remains connected to the land and to the knowledge passed down through her family: “Every time we work with coffee, we reflect what we were taught and keep a family tradition alive.”

On the Galápagos Islands, part of Ecuador, over half of the food consumed is shipped in from the mainland. For an ecosystem as fragile as the Galápagos, that dependence creates its own problems, including the introduction of invasive plants and pests.

María Espinoza is using agroecological methods to raise livestock and grow crops for local markets on land cleared of invasive blackberry bushes. She and other farmers have increased the percentage of locally sourced food available at their market from 10 percent to 40 percent since 2019. It is an example of how local food production can play multiple roles: providing income and strengthening food sovereignty.

María doesn’t pretend the work is easy: “The most difficult part? There isn’t one. With dedication, you just have to overcome the difficult challenges.”

The challenges these women face vary, but one issue affects them all: a changing climate. Women farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. They often have fewer resources available during droughts, extreme weather or other disruptions.

Milexy Rodriguez, a farmer in El Nance, Honduras, lost 15 of her cattle during a drought in 2024. It was a call to action to build a more resilient livelihood. With support from a community savings group, she drilled a well and diversified her production, growing chili peppers and keeping bees.

Milexy’s experience is a reminder that resilience isn’t some abstract concept. It may be a well, or another crop, but sometimes resilience is challenging assumptions about who belongs in agriculture.

“Many people thought that a woman couldn’t manage a cattle farm. However, with consistent work, I’ve proven that it is possible.”

Working at the Heifer Center for Regenerative Agriculture, I get to see women like Sam doing this work every day. I see it in the way our entire livestock team cares for the animals, makes land-use decisions, and tries new things.

And I see something else, too.

The women I know in agriculture aren’t waiting for someone to tell them they belong. They are already doing the work. That is what struck me as I learned more about these women across the Americas. All of our farms and lives vary, but the underlying questions are familiar.

How do we care for the land and still make a living?

How do we pass knowledge on to the next generation?

How do we build communities and food systems that can withstand difficult times?

For too long, women have had to answer these questions while also proving that they belong at the table. The most important change is that we are noticing what has been happening all along. Women have been farming, ranching, building markets, raising families and caring for the land for generations.

The numbers are finally catching up with that reality. And that is a good thing. If we are serious about building resilient farms and food systems, we need the knowledge, experience and leadership of everyone.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Lys Arango / Heifer International

The post Op-Ed | Women Farmers Are Shaping the Future of Food and Agriculture Systems appeared first on Food Tank.

Categories: A3. Agroecology

Kentucky Warbler Migration from the Great Plains to the Tropics

Audubon Society - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:45
While it has long been known that many songbirds complete vast migrations from the temperate zones to the tropics each year, surprisingly few species have been tracked along their entire journey...
Categories: G3. Big Green

Letter from the Vice President

Audubon Society - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:41
As we welcome fall across the Great Plains, I find myself reflecting on the many ways conservation takes shape. Some moments are big and worthy of celebration, while others may seem small at first...
Categories: G3. Big Green

Fall Newsletter: Letter from the Vice President

Audubon Society - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:41
As we welcome fall across the Great Plains, I find myself reflecting on the many ways conservation takes shape. Some moments are big and worthy of celebration, while others may seem small at first...
Categories: G3. Big Green

Native Orgs Call for Tribal Consultation Following Proposed Closing of National Archives

Native Organizing - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:36
Native Orgs Call for Tribal Consultation Following Proposed Closing of National Archives .avia-image-container.av-mv8ia4eo-b33596298ab28f91b26f226f930bcd22 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{ color:#ffffff; }

Photo of hundreds of Native children taken from their homes at Carlisle Indian Industrial School, circa 1900.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 14, 2026 Native Organizers Alliance Jennifer Fairbanks (Blackfeet/Ojibwe), Communications Director

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On October 14, 2026, the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, Native Organizers Alliance, National Congress of American Indians, and Native American Rights Fund sent a joint letter to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, expressing deep concern about the planned closures of the National Archives at Chicago, and the National Archives at San Francisco, located in San Bruno, California, without meaningful Tribal consultation.

For Indian boarding school survivors, descendants, Tribal Nations, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, Native researchers, and families searching for answers, these records are far more than historical documents. They can hold the names, experiences, correspondence, and stories that help families reconnect with relatives and communities understand what happened to generations of Native children and families.

Many of these materials are part of Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including documentation related to federal Indian boarding schools, Indian agencies, education, enrollment, allotment, land, and other federal policies affecting Native people.

“Access to these records can be part of the healing process. For families and communities seeking answers about what happened to their relatives, these documents can help restore pieces of stories that were separated, hidden, or lost across generations. We have a responsibility to protect that access and to listen to the people whose histories these records hold.”, said Nikki Santos (Coeur d’Alene Tribe), Chief Executive Officer of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.

“To understand who Native people are today, we must understand the injustices our ancestors endured in the past,” said Judith LeBlanc, executive director of Native Organizers Alliance. “The closure of these archives is an act of book burning—a way to shield peoples’ eyes from the country’s true history. Not only do our Tribal nations have the right to meaningful consultation, we as Native peoples have a right to know the truth so we can begin healing.”

“The federal government has an obligation to preserve the records that document its relationship with Tribal Nations. These are not ordinary government files—they are the evidence of treaties, land transactions, federal decisions, and commitments that define the United States’ trust and treaty obligations to our Nations,” said Larry Wright Jr., Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians. “Closing NARA facilities and moving these records out of the communities and regions they serve risks making those records harder to access and less available to the Tribal Nations whose rights and history they document. The government cannot walk away from the historical record of its obligations to Indian Country. These records must be preserved, protected, and accessible to Tribal Nations for generations to come.”

“These archives hold documents and records that sovereign Tribal Nations rely on to vindicate the rights of Tribal members and to hold the federal government accountable for its trust and treaty obligations,” said John Echohawk, Executive Director of the Native Americans Rights Fund . “The United States’ proposed closure threatens the ability of Tribes to access these critical records.  This historical record of the United States relationship with Tribes, including its failure to meet its promises and obligations to Tribes must be made more, rather than less, accessible.”

As the National Archives and Records Administration considers the future of the Chicago and San Francisco facilities and the collections housed there, we ask that Tribal Nations and affected communities have an opportunity to be part of these conversations. Decisions about location, accessibility, and stewardship of federal Indian records have a direct impact on whose histories these records document.

The preservation of these records is ultimately about more than archives. It is about our relatives, families, communities, truth, and opportunity to heal.

Read the letter to NARA: boardingschoolhealing.org/nara-letter/

###

About the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition: The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is dedicated to advocating for Native peoples impacted by U.S. Indian boarding schools. NABS seeks truth through education and research, justice through activism and policy advocacy, and healing through programs and traditional gatherings, boardingschoolhealing.org.

About Native Organizers Alliance: Native Organizers Alliance builds the organizing capacity of Native leaders and groups to create grassroots power for change in Native communities. It serves as a forum for collaboration, sharing best practices, and promoting their work with national allies. The organization supports grassroots-driven social change, advancing the health and welfare of rural, urban, and reservation communities across Indian Country. For more information, visit https://nativeorganizing.org/.

About the National Congress of American Indians: Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of Tribal governments and communities, promoting strong Tribal-federal government-to-government policies and a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people, and rights. For more information, visit www.ncai.org.

About the Native American Rights Fund: NARF is a non-profit 501c(3) organization dedicated to defending and asserting the legal rights of Native Americans. Since 1970, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has provided specialized legal assistance to Tribal Nations, organizations, and individuals nationwide on the most important issues to Native Americans. In hundreds of major court cases, legislation and inter-governmental agreements, NARF has achieved significant results in critical areas such as Tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, natural resource protection, voting rights, and Indian education. Like us on Facebook and on Instagram and follow us on LinkedIn to learn about the latest fights to promote justice for Native Americans.

The post Native Orgs Call for Tribal Consultation Following Proposed Closing of National Archives appeared first on Native Organizers Alliance.

Categories: E1. Indigenous

Chicago Is Geting Cameras to Catch Bus and Bike Lane Blockers Citywide

Streetsblog USA - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:27
This post is sponsored by Ride Illinois.

Last Friday, the Chicago City Council’s Traffic Safety Committee unanimously voted to expand the Smart Streets Pilot Program’s, camera enforcement of bus/bike lanes and bus stops in the central city, so that it eventually becomes a permanent, citywide program. Today it went to the full council for the final decision.

The Smart Street expansion plan.

Currently, the initiative involves cams mounted on CTA buses and City vehicles, which issue tickets to cars and trucks parked or standing in bus and bike facilities. (State legislation would have to be passed to legalize cam enforcement of driving in these lanes and stops.)

An enforcement camera attached to a City vehicle. Photo: City of Chicago

While some other news outlets have reported that the bill involves the camera enforcement of “double parking,” that’s only true if the double parking in question involves a paint-only, non-protected bike lane located on the left side of parked cars. “The program is not currently enforcing double parking [when no bike or bus lanes are present],” Chicago Department of Transportation spokesperson Erica Schoeder told Streetsblog this afternoon. “You’re right they may be confusing it with parking/stopping in bus and bike lanes, and bus stops, which are all being enforced.”

A misleading, basically erroneous Fox Chicago headline.

Committee Chair Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) who co-sponsored the ordinance with Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th), heralded the win in an email to constituents. “This program has issued over 140,000 citations and generated roughly $2 million in revenue,” he write. “And 82 percent of drivers who get a warning never get a ticket and 64 percent of those that get a first ticket never get a second.”

This morning, Vasquez held a press conference about the legislation at City Hall. Several other alders and civilian Safe Streets advocates gave speeches in support of the bill.

Vasquez, at podium. Active Transportation Alliance Campaign Organizer W. Robert Schultz III is fourth from left. Photo: ATA spokesperson Nathan Cordero

“We support the proposed expansion of the Smart Streets ordinance,” said ATA’s W. Robert Schultz III during the presser. “Many times, when I’m a rider on the Chicago CTA bus number 66, it’s especially frustrating to be delayed when [drivers] park illegally in clearly marked red bus lanes. The Smart Streets program can help buses move faster in designated lanes and protect people biking from [having to make] potentially deadly maneuvers around vehicles parked in bike lanes.” 

Streetsblog live-posted parts of today’s City Council hearing. During Traffic Safety Chair La Spata’s (somewhat hard for a lay person to understand), presentation to the Council, the Smart Streets expansion ordinance was passed without the need for a full vote. Vasquez’s office and CDOT’s Schroeder confirmed this great news.

La Spata makes his (sort of esoteric) presentation to the Council. Screenshot of the livestream.

Here’s what I was able to record from La Spata’s uncharacteristically low-key presentation on the subject: “…passage of this item by the first, most favorable roll call vote from the Committee on Finance, and the associate unsuccessful motion to reconsider the vote.”

“Hearing none, so ordered,” responded Mayor Brandon Johnson.”

Sorry, but I haven’t done enough reporting at 121 N. LaSalle St. to be 100 percent fluent in Chicago City Council lingo.

But anyway, this is a great step forward for making bus and bike travel in our city safer and more efficient, which will likely save lives and prevent heartbreak. It will also make riding buses and bikes in our city a lot more pleasant. Congratulations to Ald. Vasquez, Ald. La Spata, and the Chicago sustainable transportation advocacy community for getting this done!

“Expanding the Smart Streets program citywide is a no-brainer,” Vasquez said in a statement. “We know that enforcing bus and bike lane violations changes driver behavior. The Smart Streets pilot showed that over 80 percent of drivers who received a warning did not commit a repeat violation. Now, with the citywide expansion, we have the ability to go after the companies who have proven to be repeat offenders. I truly believe this legislation will save lives, and I’m enormously proud that we were able to get it passed.”

Here are some more reactions to the win from other folks and organizations that helped make it happen.

this is fantastic news, enactment without enforcement is pointless. don’t park in the bike lanemissing you today Bean, nice to hear you remembered and honored by City Hall with this.

— TGS (@lilybeansdad.bsky.social) 2026-10-14T19:09:43.632Z

“Bean” is the nickname for Lily Shambrook, 3, who lost her life on June 9, 2022. She was riding on the back of her mother’s bicycle when a truck driver obstructed the bike lane they were riding in on Leland Avenue in Uptown, which caused the fatal crash.

Lily Shambrook by a fountain at McCormick Place during a bike ride on the Lakefront Trail. Photo: Provided

Today in the Committee on Pedestrian & Traffic Safety: The Divvy contract extension was NOT voted on. Committee members voted to hold the item in committee to further discuss concerns. The ordinance to make the Smart Streets Pilot permanent and expand it citywide PASSED!

— Alderman La Spata (@aldermanlaspata.bsky.social) 2026-10-09T21:31:47.324Z

Screenshot of posts by Bike Lane Uprising.

If you appreciate Streetsblog Chicago’s livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our work. Thank you!

Climate Resilient Communities Project Highlights Climate and Industrial Risks in Southeast Pennsylvania

Clean Air Ohio - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:22

Communities along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers face growing threats from flooding, extreme heat, and industrial pollution. A new report and website from Clean Air Council explores how these risks affect five communities in Philadelphia and Delaware County and outlines ways to help residents prepare for a changing climate.

Launched in 2022, Clean Air Council’s three-year Climate Resilient Communities Project brought together residents of Marcus Hook, Trainer, Chester, Eastwick, and Grays Ferry to better understand local climate risks and develop community-driven solutions.

Working with Olin Labs, the Council combined climate modeling, environmental research, and community input to look at how existing industrial pollution and increasingly severe weather could affect public health, infrastructure, and neighborhood safety.

When Climate Risks and Industrial Pollution Overlap

One of the project’s key findings is that climate change can make existing industrial hazards more dangerous. Flooding and severe storms can damage industrial facilities, potentially releasing harmful pollution into nearby neighborhoods and waterways.

The study identified more than 556 industrial facilities and brownfield sites across the project area, including refineries, chemical facilities, hazardous waste sites, and other industrial operations.

The project also highlights how those risks vary by neighborhood. Eastwick faces extensive flooding, while Chester and Marcus Hook have industrial facilities located in areas prone to flooding. In Grays Ferry, limited tree canopy and extensive paved surfaces contribute to extreme heat, while redevelopment of the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery presents ongoing environmental concerns.

Turning Community Knowledge Into Action

Throughout the project, residents participated in workshops and meetings, reviewed climate data, and helped identify neighborhood priorities. Their contributions resulted in a climate resilience report and website with recommendations tailored to each community.

The recommendations address immediate neighborhood needs as well as larger regional and policy changes, including improving emergency preparedness, expanding access to green spaces, strengthening community connections, and reducing risks associated with industrial development.

Clean Air Council also worked with community partners to implement local green infrastructure projects, including improvements to Sun Village Park in Chester; Wilcox Park in Trainer; and the Growing Together Community Garden in Grays Ferry. These efforts also included installing climate information stations in Eastwick and Grays Ferry. 

Explore the Findings and Recommendations

Clean Air Council has developed a comprehensive website featuring the project’s research, community profiles, climate risk maps, and recommendations for all five focus communities.

The resource includes information about industrial hazards, current and projected flooding, extreme heat, and strategies communities and decision-makers can pursue to build long-term resilience.

Explore the Climate Resilient Communities Project, including the full report, maps, and recommendations.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Defending the Ancestors: Oka (1990)

Global Justice Ecology Project - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:22
The Siege on Kanehsata:ke (the Oka Crisis) was a 78-day standoff in 1990, sparked by plans to expand a golf course onto sacred Mohawk land in Kanehsatà:ke. The crisis exposed Canada’s deep-rooted colonialism and became a defining moment in the Indigenous land rights movement.
Categories: B4. Radical Ecology

Air Aware 101: Common Threats to Our Air Quality

EarthBlog - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 11:07

By anaïs

With increasing wildfire smoke and deregulation of dangerous industries, our air is becoming ever more toxic. However, we have the tools to mitigate and monitor these threats as we organize for clean, breathable air. This short zine, developed for work in Ohio but applicable across the US, explains where to find real-time information and how to act on it with filters, masks, and respirators.

The post Air Aware 101: Common Threats to Our Air Quality appeared first on Earthworks.

Categories: H. Green News

Café del Decrecimiento n.º 15 "Tejiendo alternativas radicales: construyendo solidaridad global entre movimientos"

Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 10:23
Café del Decrecimiento n.º 15 "Tejiendo alternativas radicales: construyendo solidaridad global entre movimientos" Fecha y lugar * Fecha: viernes 16 de octubre de 2026 * Hora: 4:30 p. m. (hora local de Copenhague) * Lugar: Folkets Hus, primer piso, Stengade 50, 2200 Copenhague, Dinamarca

Portada

Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 10:22
[ Tejedores] TGA es una “red de redes”. Cada una de esas redes actúa en diferentes partes del planeta identificando y conectando Alternativas. Son los Tejedores. [ Apoyos] Diversas organizaciones progresitas, post-desarrollo y/o anti-capitalistas apoyan esta iniciativa. Tambien lo hacen académicos, activistas y referentes.

Eventos

Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 10:21
Eventos Próximos eventos Café del Decrecimiento n.º 15 "Tejiendo alternativas radicales: construyendo solidaridad global entre movimientos" - 16 de octubre Global of () es un proceso que conecta alternativas radicales al actual sistema destructivo de todo el mundo, en particular del Sur Global. En este taller presencial y co-creativo, primero ofreceremos una introducción al trabajo de GTAGTAGTAGTAGTATapestryAlternativesTapestryAlternativesTapestryAlternativesGTAGTAGTAGTATapestryAlternativ…

Main page

Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 10:19
Global of [Weavers] GTA is a “network of networks”. Each of those networks acts in different parts of the planet by identifying and connecting Alternatives. They are the Weavers. [Endorsements] Many progressive, post-developent and anticapitalist organizations around the world endorse this initiative. Also many academics, activists and referents do so.GTAGTAWeaversGTAGTAalternativesAlternatives

The Festival that’s been bringing radical queer film-making to Toronto for 10 years

Spring Magazine - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 09:21

In 2026, the Toronto Queer Film Festival is celebrating ten years of bringing 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmaking to Toronto, with radical roots and a focus on amplifying...

The post The Festival that’s been bringing radical queer film-making to Toronto for 10 years first appeared on Spring.

Categories: B3. EcoSocialism

Degrowth Cafe #15 "Weaving Radical Alternatives: Building global solidarity between movements"

Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 08:58
Degrowth Cafe #15 "Weaving Radical Alternatives: Building global solidarity between movements" Date and venue * Date: Friday, October 16th, 2026 * Time: 4:30 pm (Copenhagen local time) * Venue: Folkets Hus, first floor, Stengade 50, 2200 Copenhagen, DenmarkGTAalternativesGTAGTA

National Nurses United endorses Rep. Ramirez’s Reimagining Safety Act

National Nurses United - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 08:58
National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members, is proud to endorse Representative Delia Ramirez’s Reimagining Safety Act to abolish ICE, reinvest in care.
Categories: C4. Radical Labor

Bread and Chicken House: How Women Built a Cooperative in Southwest Virginia in the 70s and 80s

Famed for its rolls and fried chicken, the Bread and Chicken House operated as a women-owned cooperative in Big Stone Gap, Virginia from 1971 to 1988. Through determination, shared ownership, and the support of partners like the Mountain Association, the cooperative evolved into a popular bakery and restaurant that created lasting economic opportunity for its owners. 

The cooperative was originally organized by Mother Mary Catherine Rumschlag, a former Mother General of the Glenmary Sisters, a Catholic religious order known for working alongside underserved rural communities. After moving to Big Stone Gap in 1970, she established the restaurant as a long-term community project to provide local employment. 

Recognizing both the economic challenges facing local women and the potential for community-owned business development, Rumschlag’s vision centered on empowering local women to become business owners rather than simply employees. Every member would have a stake in the business and a voice in its future. 

Through a partnership with Demoisey’s Coach House who had baking equipment, the women tested the local market for their goods. Their baking proved to be a success and they opened up next door, adding chicken to their slate of offerings.  

Like many growing businesses, however, success brought new challenges. As the cooperative gained customers and expanded its reputation, it quickly outgrew the facility. At the same time, the management systems that had worked during the organization’s early years were becoming strained. Competition was also increasing as national fast-food franchises began entering the community, creating pressure for the cooperative to adapt and strengthen its operations. 

Bread and Chicken House partnered with the Mountain Association, shortly after we formed in 1976. Our early staff provided business support, technical assistance, and financing guidance to entrepreneurs and community enterprises throughout Appalachia, with a particular focus on cooperatives.  

The Mountain Association’s assistance proved transformational. Staff helped the cooperative secure a larger facility that could accommodate its expanding operations and growing customer base. They also assisted with recruiting and training new management, helping the organization develop leadership capable of guiding the business through its next phase of growth. 

Notes sent to Mountain Association staff as we assisted with financials and cash flow.

Equally important was the work done to strengthen the cooperative’s internal structure. As any member-owned organization grows, balancing democratic participation with effective business management can become challenging. The Mountain Association worked with Bread and Chicken House to implement a stronger cooperative governance model, ensuring that each of the seven members could continue sharing ownership and decision-making responsibilities while maintaining an efficient operation. The organization also helped the cooperative secure the financing necessary to support expansion and modernization efforts.  

As profitability improved, the cooperative began making distributions to members’ share accounts, allowing the owners to directly benefit from the success they had worked together to create. However, over the years, members faced family emergencies, coinciding with local economic issues and increased competition. As a result, the members decided to sell the business. With no buyer found, they made the decision to close in 1988. 

“From wedding and birthday cakes to peanut butter roll and fudge, from rolls the angles could sing about to cornbread and soup beans that lured the most stalwart dieters to break over, it’s all still there for the balance of the week, then the Bread and Chicken House in Big Stone Gap will be a thing of the past,” wrote the local paper on June 8. 

Though many of the people originally involved have since passed away, several families of the women involved highlighted their accomplishments at the restaurant in their obituaries and in their celebrations of life.  

The story of Bread and Chicken House illustrates what is possible when community leadership, cooperative ownership, and targeted technical assistance come together. The Glenmary Sisters helped plant the seeds by supporting a vision for women-owned economic opportunity. The women brought dedication, hard work, and entrepreneurial spirit. And the Mountain Association provided the expertise, financing support, and organizational guidance needed to help the cooperative grow beyond its initial challenges. 

For 50 years, the Mountain Association has invested in people and places throughout Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia. To learn more stories of our history, visit mtassociation.org/history.  

The post Bread and Chicken House: How Women Built a Cooperative in Southwest Virginia in the 70s and 80s appeared first on Mountain Association.

Events

Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Wed, 10/14/2026 - 08:54
Events Upcoming events Degrowth Cafe #15 "Weaving Radical Alternatives: Building global solidarity between movements" - October 16th Global of () is a process connecting radical alternatives to the current destructive system from around the world, in particular from the Global South. In this in-person co-creative workshop, we will first offer an introduction to GTAs work and then create an opportunity for knowledge exchange around movement building in Denmark and beyond. Whether you're an…

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