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Members of the Attala County Self-Help Cooperative in Mississippi construct a gr

Greenhouse grows more than plants — co-op teaches youth about nutrition, community involvement

The Attala County Self-Help Cooperative (ACSHC) is helping to expand and strengthen community involvement in Attala County, Miss. ACSHC was formed in 2005 to save rural resources in central Mississippi through the use of educational outreach programs that target
small landowners with limited assets. The primary focus of the effort is on agriculture and horticulture.

While the organization serves adults, it also has a number of youth-oriented programs that promote education related to sustaining and preserving natural resources. Inspired by
the success of their neighbors at the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative, ACSHC has grown from 12 members in 2005 to 27 paying members today, including four women and
15 youths.

As both a founder and youth coordinator for ACSHC, Daniel Teague is currently focusing on expanding children’s participation through the Attala County Youth Greenhouse/Garden Project. This project involves the construction and maintenance of a greenhouse on the Long
Creek Elementary School campus in Sallis, Miss. Children from kindergarten to sixth grade are participating in the effort.

Promoting ag sustainability

The greenhouse both serves as an educational tool for agricultural sustainability and helps recruit new members to get involved in the cooperative.

“We brought in youth [to participate] from the lay-out stage when there was nothing on the ground,” says Teague. “We let them participate and got them involved. We’re letting them take part in every aspect of its construction.”

The goal of the project is to inspire children and teenagers to take charge of what, and how, they eat by teaching them about small-scale gardening through hands-on experience.
The importance of healthy eating is especially salient in Mississippi, where about 32 percent of the adult population is categorized as obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because roughly 80 percent of obese children are likely to become obese adults, it is important to begin nutritional education early.

By offering a fun and informative after-school activity, ACSHC not only educates students about sharing and working cooperatively within their community, but about improving their health and lifestyle for years to come.

ACSHC has received local support from members through donations of seeds, building materials, money and volunteer assistance from adults and youth. More funds are being
sought for future expansion of the project.

“There has been a melting pot of ways people have assisted us,” says Teague, noting that the Greenhouse should be completed this spring. “I’ve been very pleased with the result.”

by Rita Simmerly, CooperationWorks!

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