Why Co-ops and Community Farms Can’t Close the Racial Wealth Gap
Circulating local dollars can’t create wealth when there’s not enough to begin with.
Local economies
How Coal Country Is Cleaning Up Its Act
A program in eastern Kentucky is retraining miners in industries that help mitigate the environmental impacts of mining on communities.
A Boost for the Worker-Owned Economy
A new measure will make it easier for retiring owners to sell their businesses to employees—and save jobs into the bargain.
Locals Unite to Stop Hog Farms From Polluting Their Community
More than 40 families in Iowa are fighting to contain the spread of concentrated animal feeding operations.
What History Books Left Out About Depression Era Co-ops
It would seem that a movement that provided livelihood for more than 300,000 people in California alone would merit discussion in the history books.
What a Society Designed for Well-Being Looks Like
Economic justice goes a long way toward improving mental health up and down the socioeconomic ladder.
The Challenge for Communities to Rise and Take Care of Their Own
As the federal government abandons its responsibilities, it will be up to the states, the cities, the communities, and the people to rebuild a unified state.
“The Price on Everything Is Love”: How a Detroit Community Overcomes a Lack of City Services
A range of neighbor-to-neighbor efforts address basic needs, from health care to food access, that are going unmet by local government agencies.
The Push to Turn Church Land Into Farmland
Faith leaders, conservation experts, and food advocates are joining forces to connect young farmers to the vast quantity of land owned by churches.
Immigrant Farmers Revive Dormant Greenhouse to Grow Food From Home
At a small farmers market south of Seattle, you’ll find varieties of ethnic vegetables unlikely sold in your typical supermarket.
For Asian Immigrants, Cooperatives Came From the Home Country
For these communities, solidarity economics have been practiced out of necessity. But there are lessons we could all learn.
Black Entrepreneurs Lead the Charge in Baltimore’s Economic Renewal
Rehabilitating derelict properties into sites for workforce training, manufacturing, and sustainable employment aligns with the priorities of the city.
An Unusual Way to Rescue a City From Blight—Bees
As the city removes thousands of blighted properties, this couple saw an opportunity to support a cooperative economy.
Unstable Stock Market Is a Warning: Treat Your House Like a Home
A precarious housing market is no place for homeowners and renters who just want a safe place to live and a community to belong to.
When Buying Nothing Gives You More of Everything
A way to get and give free stuff with your neighbors that is time-consuming, inconvenient—and wonderful.
How We Can Transition to a “Bottom Up” Economy
Three ways to rewire the economy for equality and ecological sustainability.
School District Switches to Local and Organic Meals, Cuts Carbon Footprint—and Saves Money
A new report revealed surprising results when Oakland overhauled its lunch menu at 100-plus schools by serving less meat and more fruits and vegetables.
Crowdfunding Real Estate Isn’t Just For Millionaires Anymore. Could It Be For You?
The relatively new equity crowdfunding seeks investors expecting a return, not donors supporting a project. But the project must improve a community.
Stereotyping Appalachians Feeds Only the Coal Industry
As a fifth-generation coal miner, I see the region’s Trump signs and pro-coal stickers as symbols of defense against a world that views us as lesser.
CEOs Now Make 300 Times More Than Their Workers. This City Is Putting a Stop to That
Runaway CEO pay contributes to income inequality and ultimately harms companies, so local governments aren’t waiting for a federal fix.
Promises to Coal Country Aside, Trump’s Budget Cuts Will End an Economic Lifeline
The Appalachian Regional Commission helps to create jobs and improve economic fortunes of “distressed counties” in West Virginia and Kentucky.
The Cuts in Trump’s Budget You Haven’t Heard About
While national outrage is focused on Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts, tiny agencies helping communities that teeter on the edge of poverty would also disappear.
3 Ways Progressives Can Reconnect With Rural America
First, understand the environment is not only about climate change—it’s about livelihood for miners, drillers, loggers, and farmers like me.
What It Takes to Get Women Out of Prison—and Stay Out
The rate of women in U.S. prisons is growing faster than men. But in New Orleans, one group is successfully tackling sentencing for drug use and sex work.
Worried About Rent Hikes, 301 Families Came Together to Buy Their Mobile Home Park
And five other creative ways Americans are stepping up to build strong local economies.
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