By: Elaine Hobson
The Winston County Self Help Cooperative Business Meeting convened at 5:00 p.m. on August 5, 2025, at the Miller-Gladney farm estate of its team leader, Mr. Frank Taylor. The meeting commenced with Mary Ann Kelly leading the opening prayer, thanking the Lord for allowing us to assemble, praying for a productive meeting, and asking the Lord to protect, guide, and bless all attendees and our leaders, locally and nationally.
Team Leader, Mr. Frank Taylor, opened the meeting by expressing his appreciation to cooperative members and guests for their attendance. He stated we are going to discuss the business agenda, followed by fellowship and a delightful, cooked meal. Mr. Taylor followed the meeting agenda as he discussed its 13 topics, resulting in a well-informed and productive meeting.
First, Mr. Taylor informed the group that the Winston County Self Help Cooperative has approved the attendance of seven individuals to attend the Federation of Southern Cooperatives annual meeting in Epes, Alabama, August 14-16, 2025. Next, Mr. Taylor stated that he will attend the Alcorn State University College of Agriculture and Applied Science Alumni Hall of Fame Luncheon at Alcorn State University on August 16, 2025, at noon. The agenda’s third topic was the upcoming Cattlemen’s meeting, which will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Winston County Self Help Cooperative Campus, located at 2948 Highpoint-Weir Road, Louisville, Mississippi, located in the New Zion Community.
Mr. Taylor continued by saying that representatives from North Carolina will facilitate a Business Session/Outreach meeting on the Winston County Self Help Cooperative Campus on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The cooperative staff will serve lunch; please let the office staff know if you plan to attend so that we can ensure an accurate headcount. Continuing with the agenda, Mr. Taylor announced that Mr. Warner Hall, a devoted agricultural educator and a producer of fruit and vegetables, will host his annual field day on his vegetable farm, located in Greensburg, Louisiana, on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.
Continuing, Mr. Taylor said October is Fire Safety Month in the United States. He emphasized having your heating source checked by a knowledgeable professional before using it in the upcoming cool season. To prepare for guarding against fires, the Greensboro Community will conduct its seasonal Fire Safety Workshop on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Also, Lonely Valley C.M.E. Church will hold a Fire Safety Workshop on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. Also, Mr. Taylor asked Reverend W.L. Hightower, pastor of the New Zion M.B. Church, and other attendees to schedule Fire Safety Workshops for their community.
Additionally, the Winston County Self Help Cooperative Firewise Workshop will take place on the Winston County Self Help Cooperative Campus on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The cooperative staff will serve a lunch meal. All attendees must notify the office staff of their attendance by September 30, 2025, to ensure an accurate headcount for the lunch meal.
Furthermore, Mr. Taylor stated that the Winston County Farm Service Agency is open two and a half days a week: half-day on Wednesday, and full day on Thursday and Friday. The office telephone number is (662) 773-2207, extension 2. The Minority Landowner Magazine’s 2024 Farmers of the Year Issue featured several Winston County Self Help members and associate members who were elected as farmers of the year: Allen McReynolds, J&S Farm, McCool, Mississippi; Claude Elam, Elam Farm, McCarley, Mississippi; Howard Moore, Moore Green Acres Farm, Louisville, Mississippi; Alice Perryman, Perryman’s Farm, Philadelphia, Mississippi; and Terry Thomas, D-T Farm, Columbia, Mississippi. The magazine also devoted a page to the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative, highlighting the organization’s 40-year history of serving rural America and its achievements in 2024. The magazine recognized Winston County Self Help Cooperative member, Mr. Dee Doston, known as Mr. Rural America, on his 104th birthday.
As far as community safety, Team Leader, Mr. Taylor, said the word “community” ends with the word “unity”. We must unite and take care of our communities, making them a place where we can live safely. He stressed helping kids stay safe by storing guns without ammunition and storing them out of the reach of children. Law Enforcement Officer Earnest Eichelberger said that he provides firearm training monthly, on the last Friday and Saturday of each month.
The final topic of the business meeting was “Paying Delinquent Property Taxes.” Mr. Taylor has a long history of advocating for property preservation, encouraging people to pay their property taxes before the due dates to avoid penalties and loss of ancestral land. Team Leader Frank Taylor and cooperative members reviewed the delinquent tax sale listings for fiscal year 2024 in the local newspaper, the Winston County Journal. As they examined the lists of unpaid tax parcels by property owners for fiscal year 2024, Mr. Taylor asked the audience to contact the owners whose names appear in the delinquent tax listings and ask them to pay their delinquent property bills. Additionally, Team Leader Frank Taylor took to Facebook Live to reach a larger audience on the topic of “Paying Delinquent Property Taxes” to help people avoid paying fees and prevent them from losing their property. Both the City of Louisville and the Winston County tax sale for unpaid parcels for the tax year 2024 and prior years will occur on August 25, 2025.
The business meeting concluded with a summary of the Greensboro Day Celebration by Emma Goss. Reverend Willie James Matthews led the closing prayer and blessed the meal. Afterward, Sharonne Cooper and the Big Boys BBQ cooking team served a meal consisting of catfish, French fries, cold slaw, bread, and drinks, fostering fellowship among attendees.
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