URGENT
Workshops for Black Farmer Claimants in Pigford 2 Lawsuit in
Oklahoma,
Georgia,
Louisiana and
South Carolina: Understanding the Lawsuit and the Claim Form in the Black Farmer Class Action Lawsuit against the USDA.
There are four workshops scheduled in March 2012 by the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund and the "Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates" to assist claimants in the Black Farmer lawsuit against the USDA. The workshops will take place in Oklahoma, Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina.
Claimants in these areas are encouraged to attend:
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OKLAHOMA: On Saturday, March 10, 2012 a workshop will be held at the 6th Annual Economic Development Conference of the Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project at the Metro-Technology Center located at 1900 Spring Lake Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73111. The workshop will take place from 8AM to 5PM. Contact 405-201-6624 for more information.
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GEORGIA: On Wednesday, March 14, 2012 a workshop will be held at the C.E. Weir Center, 307 West Bryan St., Douglas, GA 31533. The workshop will take place from 9AM to 4 PM. This meeting is co-sponsored by the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative for Social Justice.
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LOUISIANA: On Saturday, March 17, 2012 a workshop will be held at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center's, Louisiana Small Farmer Conference at the Felton G. Clark Activity Center (Mini-Dome) on the campus of Southern University. The workshop will take place from 9:30AM until 5:00PM. Contact 225-771-2242 for more information.
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SOUTH CAROLINA: On Saturday, March 24, 2012 a workshop will be held at the St. John United Methodist Church/ Multi-Purpose Building, 214 West Seven Pines Street, Lamar, SC 29069. The workshop will take place from 8:30AM to 4PM. The meeting is co-sponsored by the United Farmers USA and the Rural Advancement Fund. Contact 843-319-7212 for more information.
The workshops will offer claimants information about who qualifies in the lawsuit and about the claims process itself. Those attending will be informed about the claim form and to better understand what is needed to provide a narrative about the discrimination they experienced at USDA.
Claimants are encouraged to attend the meetings so they can be as informed as possible before they meet with class counsel.
There are many meetings scheduled with class counsel in the South. Please call EPIQ at 877- 810- 8110 for if you have questions about being in the lawsuit and to make an appointment with an attorney. (EPIQ is the administrator in the Pigford 2 lawsuit.)
There is no right of appeal, thus no room for error in filling out the claim form. Claimants are encouraged to bring the persons helping them with their claims to the workshop.
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For more information call Mircha King at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund at 800-503-5678.
To set up a meeting with Class Counsel call EPIQ at 877 810 8110
To review when the meetings with Class Council are taking place in your state go to
blackfarmercase.com
Note: The Federation/LAF, now in its 44th year, assists Black family farmers across the South with farm management, debt restructuring, alternative crop suggestions, marketing expertise and a whole range of services to ensure family farm survivability.
2769 Church Street • East Point, GA • 30344
404 765 0991 • www.federation.coop
Baton Rouge, LA – The SU Ag Center held a train-the-trainer cooking demonstration for Extension Agents to take back and implement in their respective parishes. A local chef trained approximately 20 agents on how to cook healthy while stretching the budget. The agents will in turn teach the lessons to parents, children and interested members of the community. Consequently, healthy food preparation will catch on, reducing the high incidence of health-related issues among our residents. 
