HOSCO FARMS

HOSCO is a sustainable food and sustainable community economic development cooperative founded in St. Louis. designed to stimulate economic growth locally by training individuals to become cooperative business owners. Our focus is incubating and supporting food-based cooperative businesses and the supply chain industries that support them. Beginning with farming we try to provide a complete skillset that will allow individuals to work in on of several food system related fields. All while working towards ownership through a coopertive based membership styled structure. This allows members to take advantage of the collective resources and lower pricing for products or services produced by the cooperative.

 

Agriculture as a career  began as a thought by my grandmother when she decided that it would make economic sense to grow our own food on a plot of land my father bought next to our 4 family apartment building. I as 6 years old at that time and remember dreading waking up at 5am to go work outside in the summer because it was time for us to begin working in our small 20,000 sqft. urban farm. As time went on I grew older and lost the desire to farm due to my infatuation with computers and technolgy. Ten years of farming within the city was brought to an end when I turned 16 and decided I had no desire to do that kind of work when it was easier t get food from the grocery store, or so I thought. It wasn't until I returned back to St. Louis after 11 years living in New York did the love for growing food return to me. This began while working with Lincoln Cooperative Extension center and really solidified its return after I met Will Allen of Growing Power. After this things changed for me and I dove head first back into growing food. Its a personal mission of mine to grow other farmers but also provide jobs and job training. Hopefully one day we can see the return of local businesses supported by the community. Until then we continue to grow food and train more entrepreneurs to ultimately run their own cooperatives.

 

HOSCO's began in 2010. Its first cooperative product was “Kurbiskernol” Pumpkin Seed Oil. Having lived in Austria on a pumpkin 100 hectare farm. During this time I learned the techniques of producing seed oils and wanted to bring this knowledge back to the local St. Louis community to empower other individuals into developing their own products. We soon began training others in the local community on the process of pressing seed oils and then how to sell these oils to provide an income by developing their own products. Since then we have grown our operations to include sustainable farming and food production, food systems development, education, training and community development. HOSCO specializes in growing over 20 types of micro greens, sold throughout St. Louis and found in local restaurants and grocers. The company now produces 6000 pounds of micro greens yearly and is one of St. Louis' largest micro greens producers. 

 

Through partnerships with our clients we now offer training in culinary and fine dining industry with some of St. Louis' top restaurants, country clubs and catering companies. In addition we have formed partnerships with the St. Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis Publich Schools and several other organizations in order to provide training to individuals that have been unemployed or on publich assistance. Our focus is to provide education and training to individuals based on rebuilding the local food system and providing jobs within the food industry. By doing so we hope to not only transform lives but also the food system.

 

Our goal is to create sustainable communities beginning with the food system and community development theough job training and education. Simply put, we are committed to food justice, making food more available and affordable to people, and empowering others to grow our local food economy while providing paths to entrpreneuralship through cooperative creation.

 

We beleive self sufficiency through cooperatives will rebuild communities and serve as a model for how businesses and communities can work together to create a brighter future.