Kathia Duran, executive director of the LFCL, first moved to New Orleans from Costa Rica in 1990 to study International Business at Loyola University. After years of working in economic development and international trade, in 2005 she decided to open her own dairy business for Louisiana farmers markets. Kathia had learned to make cheese by hand as a childhood student of her Grandmother Doña Blanca in rural Costa Rica. Kathia had learned well and in addition to potent local demand she was also recognized in the Atlas of American Artisan Cheese.
In March, 2006, she became a member of the Market Board and spent much of her time promoting the local Farmers Markets and healthy, sustainable food options for urban populations. While attending the Crescent City Farmers Markets (New Orleans); Gretna Farmers Market (Gretna) and the Destrehan Farmers Market (Destrehan), however, she noticed the lack of Latino representation among the vendors.
Kathia decided to address both the food access issues of the New Orleans area and the poor socioeconomic conditions of newly arriving Latinos with a single solution. Kathia collaborated with the Louisiana Association of Cooperatives and Louisiana State University Extension Services to hold a preliminary study at the Good Shepard Baptist Church in Metairie, LA, which serves a 400-person congregation in Jefferson Parish. Spanish language flyers were hand-delivered at the end of services to determine if the Latino community would be interested in pursuing agro business. Inquiries immediately began pouring in by telephone. Members met after church to conduct farm tours and gather Spanish-language information on organic farming.
In February 2008, the first orientation session was scheduled, and the Latino Farmers Cooperative of Louisiana (LFCL) was formed. Kathia soon became the Chapter Leader of the Greater New Orleans Weston A. Price Foundation in Food, Farm and the Healing Arts.
In March 2008, members traveled to Wisconsin where they were trained in urban agriculture practices and strategic planning by Growing Power. In May, more leadership and planning training was provided by the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group and the Louisiana Association of Cooperatives.
Early in 2008 Kathia and the LFCL launched The Farmer Incubator Program, which trains low-income members of the Latino community in the growing, marketing and sale of healthy food alternatives. Participants are given a plot of land in our community garden and access to produce from our farming partners in the greater New Orleans area. When these products are sold at one of the various Farmer’s Markets in which the cooperative participates, our farmers receive all the profits.
The LFCL participates in various farmers markets across the Greater New Orleans area including the Westwego Farmers & Fishery Market (New Orleans); Camellia Farmers Market (Slidell); Bywater Farmers Market (New Orleans); and the Central City Community Marketplace (New Orleans).
Currently, the LFCL works with over fifteen Latino farmers of various nationalities. These members come from low-income families with limited ability to speak and understand the English language but many have previous farming experience. The majority of these members live in the urban neighborhoods of New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, and Westwego.
In May, 2008 the National Immigrant Farming Initiative awarded the LFCL a grant of $5,000 to put toward a poultry production training facility. Other partnerships followed, including the New Orleans Food and Farm Network at the local level and the US Federation of Workers Cooperatives at the national level.
In June, 2008 the members continued building their “sweat” equity and were able to establish the first community garden in Central City, New Orleans.
To date, the LFCL has built a significant network of community-based and business organizations at the national, regional and state level to support the LFCL’s seven training models. These organizations are the National Center for Appropriate Technology; Community Food Security Coalition; Louisiana State University Ag Center; Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans; Parkway Partners; Latin America Studies of Tulane University; Green Jobs; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana; and the National Performance Network; to mention a few.
In order to further address the needs of the Latino community of New Orleans, the LFCL has expanded to offer a Hispanic Resource Center and a variety of youth and adult oriented workshops, classes and conversations.
In September, 2008, the New Orleans City Council recognized the positive impact of the LFCL during a landmark panel discussion on the important role the Hispanic population plays in the city’s economy.
