Mini-Cheese Making A Blessing to Georgian Farmers

This report, dated October 16th, comes from CHF International, a group that funds and co-ordinates small self-help and co-operative ventures in the Third World and Eastern Europe.

In this small villiage in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the major cash generator for the people has been growing potatoes and cattle breeding. With financing from both CHF and the US Agency for International Development, six local business leaders fixed up an old mini-cheese making factory in the town. This was after the local area began fixing up their own road and bridge systems and waterworks.

The majority of the milk purchased for cheese-making comes from the community itself, about 28% of the residents, according to the CHF report. The cheese has done so well, even 1 1/2 tons of it were exported to Greece!

This is good news for small communities looking to improve their economy and social situations, whether in America, Russia or elsewhere. This is one of Distributism's tenets - local co-operative ventures - put into action. This also helps to diversify their economic base, making them less dependent on potatoes and cattle for their income.

It is always good to have a mixture of economic activities in a town, city or region. Flexibility is key to keeping a region prosperous. Tying a town or region's future to mostly cattle or grain or steelmaking or service industries guarantees instability. Genuine economic diversity is always a desired goal.

So congratulations to these Georgians and to CHF International for this piece of good news.