The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) invites Austin and area residents to join them and Cooperativa La Surena (known as La Sureña) for an open house from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6.

This open house will feature the Austin-based agricultural cooperative La Sureña at the cooperative’s 2016 planting field at the Austin Community Garden, 1600 Fourth St. SE. just south of Woodson School.

Light refreshments will be served. Visitors will be welcome to walk the site and see traditional as well as unique vegetable food products. Visitors are also invited to talk with LEDC employees about its beginning farmer training program and related agricultural business development services.

The La Sureña farmers want to create awareness of their quality products and develop relationships with retail customers and wholesale buyers in the region. La Sureña produce is sold at the Hy-Vee in Austin; a relationship that they are very proud to have. Plan on coming to meet the farmers that are growing some of the best produce that is produced in our region.

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is a nonprofit founded in 2003 with assistance from several local business development organizations. Its mission is to transform the community by creating economic opportunities for Latinos. It carries out that mission by providing micro-entrepreneurship trainings and technical assistance, workforce training and loans to small businesses. To learn more about LEDC and its work with agricultural cooperatives, visit www.ledc-mn.org or find LEDC-MN on Facebook.

Cooperativa La Sureña was founded in 2015 in Austin, Minnesota. It is operated by Guillermo Martin, a local Austin resident, and his immediate and extended family. La Sureña is producing all natural pesticide-free vegetables that are locally sold at Austin’s Hy-Vee and directly sold to areas residents. The cooperative is in its second year of business operation and has plans for major growth in the Austin area.