In addition to interviewing Dean Zimmerman, co-op pioneer, one-time CO-member, and Freedom Summer activist, we also talked to his son, Klaus. At the time we interviewed him, the next-generation Zimmerman was farming with Stone’s Throw Urban Farm, which grows food on vacant urban lots. Now Klaus co-owns Whetstone Farm, which is a member of Shared Ground Farmers’ Co-op. Other members of Shared Ground include Stone’s Throw as well as three immigrant-owned farms, two of which are co-ops themselves. Whew! That’s a lot of cooperating going on!
In this clip, Klaus aptly describes some of the challenges facing farmers and food justice activists today.