Tierra Verde Cooperative Votes to Admit Twelve New Farms

The San Vicente Cooperative Council voted unanimously on Thursday to admit twelve new smallholder farms to the federation, marking the largest expansion in a single session since the Republic's founding. The decision came after a four-month review process that examined soil quality, water access, and each applicant's commitment to the cooperative's organic and fair-trade standards. The farms range from five hectares to twenty-three hectares, clustered across three rural counties north of the capital.

The admission signals growing confidence in Tierra Verde's cooperative model at a moment when rural communities across the region are wrestling with water scarcity and price volatility in the federal exchange. Applicants outnumbered available seats by more than three to one, according to the council's final report, suggesting that smallholders view cooperative membership as a hedge against isolation and market risk.

The council's decision now moves to the Federal Office for Cooperative Affairs in Meridian for final registration and dues verification. Council members said they expect the process to take between six and eight weeks, a timeline that would bring the new farms into full standing by late August.