We Are the Ones moves from rural to urban, with a look at how the farmer-owned co-op The Kansas City Food Hub gets locally grown food to area residents. Also, three Madison, WI worker co-ops tell how democratic workplaces empower their members and benefit their communities.

John Hershberger, President of Union Cab Cooperative

Speakers:

Thomas Smith, Director of Operations, The Kansas City Food Hub.

John Hershberger, President, Union Cab Cooperative/Driver.

Adam Chern. Worker Owner at Union Cab Cooperative, President of Madison Worker Cooperatives (MadWorC).

Rebecca Kemble, Worker Owner at Union Cab Cooperative, former representative for District 18 on the Madison Common Council.

Ole Olson, Controls Engineer, Isthmus Engineering and Manufacturing, retired.

Jon Purintun, Controls Engineer, Isthmus Engineering and Manufacturing.

George, Worker Owner at Community Pharmacy, Madison, WI.

Jane, Co-founder and Worker Owner at Community Pharmacy, Madison, WI, retired.

Music break: 29:14 - 29:46 [:32]

Original songs “Spring Fork Creek” and “Portent” by The Lonesome Companions, available on their 2026 release “One More Round”.

Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions: “Lumber Down” - Barstool.

Episode Description:

The farmer-owned cooperative Kansas City Food Hub brings locally grown food to Kansas City metro area citizens, stores, schools and restaurants. The KC Food Hub is working to open markets for area farmers in order to build a safe, sustainable local food system. Chief Operations Director Thomas Smith talks about the importance of growing food locally and how the Food Hub is going about the work of making a resilient local food supply a reality.

Then We Are the Ones takes listeners into the world of democratic workplaces. Union Cab Cooperative, Isthmus Engineering and Manufacturing, and Community Pharmacy have all been operating for more than 40 years. Worker owners at those companies describe the benefits of weathering challenges through collective decision making based on what’s best for workers and their communities.

Resources:

https://thekcfoodhub.com/

https://www.unioncab.com/

https://isthmuseng.com/

https://www.communitypharmacy.coop/

https://madworc.coop/ - Madison Worker Co-operatives

https://institute.coop/ - Democracy at Work Institute

https://uwcc.wisc.edu/ - University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives

https://www.usworker.coop/en/ - U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives

https://www.cicopa.coop/ - CICOPA

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KOPN is sponsoring this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

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