A look at how Seed Commons member Co-op Cincy is preserving local jobs through worker-ownership conversions:

The change began last spring, when longtime owner Kathie Hogeback decided to sell her business. After running it with her husband Bob for two decades, the 64-year-old says she was tired. But, she didn’t want to close up shop, especially after seeing nearby greenhouses like Moeller Greenhouse & Garden and Evers’ Greenhouse shut down. “People in our community love the [Northgate] Greenhouses,” Hogeback said. “And, they're not just our greenhouse people. They love greenhouses in general.”

After the Hogebacks and their broker put Northgate Greenhouses on the market, local farm co-op, Our Harvest Cooperative, was one of the first potential buyers to express interest in the business and the property. [...] The farm co-op bought the business and property in March, with support from national financial cooperative Seed Commons.

The transition to a worker-owned model means about 20 employees are keeping their jobs and giving input on workplace decisions.

Read more now (Isabel Nissley, "Northgate Greenhouses transitions to worker-owned model," 91.7 WVXU, June 23, 2025)