Name

Winston County Self-help Cooperative

Legal name

Winston County Self Help Cooperative

Website

https://wcshc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: The cooperative operates primarily through grant funding from organizations like Heifer International, USDA, and other agricultural organizations. Initial seed money came from Heifer International. Services are provided free to members through these funding sources.
2. Member Services: Services are provided to small farmers and landowners including technical assistance, education, and bulk purchasing support. Revenue is generated through membership participation rather than direct fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Winston County Self-help Cooperative is a non-profit cooperative that helps small farmers purchase and sell in bulk, and provides agricultural education, USDA program assistance, heir's property resolution, homeownership support, and youth development programs to rural Mississippi communities. Founded in 1985, it delivers these services free to members through grant-funded programs and partnerships with organizations such as Heifer International and the USDA.

Product overview

Winston County Self Help Cooperative (WCSHC) is a community-based organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services focused on agricultural sustainability, land retention, and rural community empowerment. The core offerings include small farmer support services (technical assistance, bulk purchasing/selling, USDA program access), a Youth Group program (connecting children to natural resources since 2003), the Delinquent Property Taxes Campaign (land preservation through tax education), and the Save Rural America Conference series. Additional services include a Heifer Program, Homeownership Program, Cattle Feed Program, Canning and Food Preservation Workshops, and Climate Smart Agriculture education. WCSHC does not operate as a software technology platform but rather as a service cooperative providing education, outreach, and direct assistance to farmers and rural communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WCSHC Youth Group: Youth group program organized in 2003 to reconnect children to natural resources and provide career guidance in the natural resources field.

Products and services

• Small Farmer Support Program Cooperative program that helps small farmers purchase inputs and sell outputs in bulk, and provides agricultural education and USDA program assistance to small farmers across Mississippi.
• Youth Group Program Youth development program that engages rural Mississippi youth in agricultural education, leadership development, and community activities.
• Delinquent Property Taxes Campaign Campaign service that helps Mississippi landowners resolve delinquent property tax situations and avoid land loss.
• Save Rural America Conference (SRAC) Annual conference convened by the cooperative to address rural issues, share knowledge, and connect small farmers and rural community members with resources.
• Heifer Program Livestock provision program in partnership with Heifer International that provides small farmers in Mississippi with livestock to support farm enterprise.
• Homeownership Program Program that supports rural Mississippi residents pursuing homeownership through education and related assistance.
• Cattle Feed Program Cooperative bulk purchasing program that supplies cattle feed to small farmer members at reduced cost.
• Canning and Food Preservation Workshops Educational workshops that teach rural community members home canning and food preservation techniques.
• Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Education Educational program that teaches small farmers climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices for sustainable land management.
• Firewise Workshop Program Workshop program that educates rural community members on wildfire safety and forest management through the Firewise framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Assisted 1000's of individuals in 41 years of operation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCSHC connects members with USDA programs and services including Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Received USDA Outreach Recognition Certificates at USDA's 5th Partners Meeting. Team members regularly attend USDA events and help members navigate USDA programs.
• Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSC is a 57-year-old cooperative association of Black farmers, landowners, and cooperatives across the South. WCSHC members regularly attend FSC annual meetings and training. WCSHC received the Federation of Southern Cooperatives' Coop of the Year Award in 2006.
• Winston County Tax Assessor and CollectorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatasha Walker, Winston County Tax Assessor and Collector, partners with WCSHC for the Delinquent Property Taxes Campaign, providing information to help attendees understand delinquent property taxes and the importance of paying property taxes to preserve land ownership.
• Huntington Bank of Louisville, MississippiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFelisha Mitchell from Huntington Bank led a financial literacy lesson for youth, teaching children about managing money and introducing a program that helps families build children's credit.
• CME Church (Christian Methodist Episcopal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCSHC partners with the CME Church through annual conferences, attending the 4th District CME Church 2026 Conference. Team members engage with attendees and share information about WCSHC services and resources, particularly the Delinquent Property Tax Campaign.
• Carroll County Men in Black and Blue OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCSHC Team Leader Frank Taylor participates in Carroll County Men in Black and Blue Organization events, sharing information about property tax management and rural health initiatives.
• Mississippi Small Cattle Group (MSSCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCSHC partners with MSSCG on cattle health initiatives, farm field days, and technical assistance programs. Allen McReynolds leads collaborative efforts to purchase feed for cattle farmers and deliver health programs.
• Mississippi Producers Agricultural Group (MSPAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCSHC works with MSPAG on the Delinquent Property Taxes Campaign and hosts Save Rural America Conferences together.
• Black Sustainability, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCSHC participates in Black Sustainability, Inc.'s Save Rural America Conference, a Zoom-based annual event focused on Black sustainability in agriculture.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Heifer International: Global nonprofit that provided WCSHC's seed funding in 1985 and continues as a core partner. Operates a much larger livestock-distribution and cooperative-development model internationally; WCSHC's Heifer Program and community approach mirror Heifer's framework at a local scale.
• National Farmers Union: National U.S. farm organization representing family farmers and ranchers on policy, cooperative development, and education. Overlaps with WCSHC on cooperative principles, USDA advocacy, and farmer education, but operates at national scale and a broader policy remit.

Direct peers

• National Black Farmers Association: Advocacy and support organization for Black farmers in the United States. Comparable to WCSHC in target constituency (Black farmers and landowners) and focus on USDA access, land retention, and rural economic empowerment, though organized nationally rather than as a regional cooperative.
• Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund: 57-year-old cooperative association of Black farmers, landowners, and rural cooperatives across the U.S. South. WCSHC is explicitly affiliated, attending FSC annual meetings and receiving FSC's Coop of the Year Award in 2006; both organizations pursue identical missions of land retention, cooperative development, and advocacy for small Black farmers.
• Land Loss Prevention Project: North Carolina-based nonprofit dedicated to combating land loss among Black and other limited-resource farmers. Highly comparable to WCSHC's Delinquent Property Taxes Campaign and heir's property resolution work, operating a regional model with similar legal and educational services.
• Center for Rural Affairs: Nebraska-based nonprofit advocating for rural communities, small farmers, and cooperative enterprises. Comparable to WCSHC in its blend of cooperative development, small-farmer advocacy, community education, and policy engagement, though operating in the Midwest rather than the Deep South.
• Rural Coalition: National alliance of rural community-based organizations serving socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Directly comparable to WCSHC in constituency (Black, Indigenous, Latino, and small farmers), mission (USDA access, land retention, cooperative development), and community-led service model.
• Hmong American Farmers Association: Minnesota-based cooperative supporting Hmong American farmers through land access, technical assistance, and collective marketing. Highly comparable to WCSHC's cooperative bulk-purchasing model, USDA access work, and small-acreage farmer support, though serving a different ethnic constituency and geography.

Regional players

• Alcorn State University Extension Program: Mississippi-based HBCU extension program providing agricultural research, education, and outreach to small and limited-resource farmers in the Delta and surrounding counties. Comparable to WCSHC's USDA-program navigation and farmer education work within the same Mississippi geography and similar Black-farmer constituency.
• Mississippi Association of Cooperatives: Mississippi-based cooperative association serving member cooperatives and farmers in the state. Comparable to WCSHC in regional focus, cooperative-development mission, and small-farmer constituency, operating as an umbrella/member-support organization rather than a direct service cooperative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wcshc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wcshc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/winston-county-self-help-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Winston County Self-help Cooperative