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COOPERACION SANTAANA 1505E17THSTSTE117,SANTAANA,CA9270S ADM IN-;?C04PERACI4NSANTAANA.DRG �� (651)210-0047 Santa Ana City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 February 18, 2025 RE: City Council Agenda Item #17— In support of THRIVE Santa Ana, Walnut and Daisy Micro-Farm Project Dear Mayor and City Council, Please consider this letter in support of THRIVE Santa Ana Community Land Trust, the Walnut and Daisy Micro-Farm, as part of your Public Hearing, item #17 on today's City Council Meeting agenda. Cooperacion Santa Ana envisions a strong, locally owned shared economy where products and services are created with dignity and respect for the people who work on them and the planet that sustains us. We believe that worker cooperatives offer an asset-building opportunity for those who may not be eligible for employment or lack access to capital, and that the deep democracy embedded in cooperatives transforms entire communities and local economies. We offer training, coaching, and incubation, and organize a cooperative network and fund governed by Orange County cooperatives. Since 2019, approximately 70 individuals have successfully completed our 12 week training curriculum called "CooperAccion" and of that, 15 new cooperative businesses or worker self-directed projects were started with 6 co-ops officially joining La Red de Cooperativas de OC. To this extent, we have been project partners with THRIVE in developing the Walnut and Daisy Micro-Farm which will include two cooperatively owned and operated businesses at the site: a cooperative urban farm and a cooperative cafe called La Milpa Cafe. Post-construction completion, not only will 10 new jobs be created by the business endeavors at the site, but 10 business owners will receive our support and further training to ensure long-lasting stability and ownership of livelihoods for these long-term Santa Ana residents as owner-workers of the co-op businesses at the site.