Did you know that in 1752 in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin began the Philadelphia Contributionship, which is recognized as the first mutually owned and operated business in the United States? The Contributionship was a mutual fire insurance company that offered protections to Philadelphia buildings that joined, which would be evidenced by the “fire mark" that was placed on buildings. Fire marks, or metal plaques sporting the insurance company`s logos and affixed to the buildings, were used by many other insurance companies throughout the country.

The Philadelphia Contributionship was incorporated in 1768. The Philadelphia Contributionship Mutual Holding Company still exists today as a much larger umbrella organization with many insurance subsidiaries.

#philadelphiacontributionship #history #cooperative #mutual ...

Did you know that food cooperatives have long provided a safe space for the queer community? Today, food continues to be a way for the queer community to connect and strengthen culture while queer-centered and led food cooperatives, such as @rocksteadyfarm, are both a safe space and a path to food justice, providing fresh vegetables to communities historically barred from accessing them.

Today`s suggested reading is What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution by John Birdsall.

#cadmencoop #cooperative #history #pride ...

Did you know that civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer founded the Freedom Farm Cooperative in Sunflower County, Mississippi in 1967? The farm, which grew vegetables and raised pigs, supported over 30,000 Black families. A cooperative model, member-owners paid $1 a month; however, they were in no means turned away if they couldn’t pay. As we envision with the Camden Co-op, the Freedom Farm Cooperative also offered other forms of support to community members such as education and employment assistance.

Hamer once said, "“Down where we are, food is used as a political weapon. But if you have a pig in your backyard, if you have some vegetables in your garden, you can feed yourself and your family, and nobody can push you around."

#cadmencoop #cooperative #history ...

Did you know that many Black-owned grocery cooperatives formed in Harlem, New York during the first half of the 20th Century? For example, the Pure Food Co-operative Grocery Store was owned by 350 Harlem families by 1934. WEB Du Bois believed cooperatives could be a pathway to economic liberation for Black families.

#camdencooperative #cooperativehistory #history #purefoodcooperativegrocerystore ...

Did you know that in the late nineteenth century, independent grocers formed cooperatives in order to purchase wholesale items and stay in business against new chain supermarkets? Two of these cooperatives in Philadelphia were the Retail Grocers’ Association (Girard Grocery Company) and the Unity-Frankford Association (Frankford Grocery Company). Between the two of these organizations, there were over 2,000 members by 1920.

#camdencooperative #cooperativehistory #history #grocerassociation ...