The Book:

Determined to Prosper: The Story of Sussex Co-op, the Oldest Agricultural Society in the World 1841-2011

In the spring of 1841 a group of farmers from the Sussex, New Brunswick area met to discuss ways to improve farming and encourage agricultural developments in their community.

From this meeting Sussex & Studholm Agricultural Society No. 21 was born with the goal to "encourage agricultural development through innovative farming techniques, advances in agricultural sciences, provide members with purebred livestock, hold fairs and plowing matches and reward exceptional performance in farming practices." Today the Sussex Co-op, as it is commonly known, continues to prosper as the community prepares to celebrate its 170 anniversary. It is a member of the Co-op Atlantic network of co-operatives.

Author David Bent has captured the story of the co-op, as well as that of rural life in New Brunswick and Canada in a delightful read. You will learn about the Society's successes and frustrations and follow their story from the beginning during the mid 19th century until today.

However, primarily, Determined to Prosper is the history of the oldest agricultural society and co-operatively run enterprise in the world. It is the story of people who, throughout the last 170 years have worked in co-operation, determined to own and control their destiny.

Order the book today!
sussex-mgr@co-opsonline.com
506-432-1841

Article in the Telegraph-Journal about the launch of the book

Article in the Atlantic Co-operator, May/June 2011, Volume 77 No 3

About the author:

David Bent, historian and Phd candidate at University of New Brunswick

David Bent is a historian whose field of study is rural and agricultural history in Nova Scotia from the late nineteenth to the mid twentieth century. He has received a Bachelor of Arts, with honours, from Acadia University in 2002, a Master's of Arts in history from the University of New Brunswick in 2004 and he is currently a PhD candidate in Canadian History at the University of New Brunswick.

The team:

This project was undertaken through financial and in-kind support from a project committee comprised of the following organizations: Sussex & Studholm Agricultural Society #21, Atlantic Co-operative Publishers Limited, Co-op Atlantic, Measuring the Co-operative Difference Research Network, University of New Brunswick, Canadian Co-operative Association and the Co-operative Enterprise Council.

The project committee would like to offer a special acknowledgement to the late James M Thomson who wrote the original history of this society thirty years ago which was the basis for this new edition. His meticulous recording of the society's minute books made the updating process much easier.

David Bent, the author and researcher, merits well deserved thanks for completing the project. While the Measuring the Co-operative Difference Research Network paid his research salary from its Community and University Research Alliance grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), David also provided many hours of in-kind work towards the completion of this project.

Thank you also to Dr. Luc Thériault of the University of New Brunswick Sociology Department who served as the academic supervisor and overall coordinator for this project. Wendy Keats of the Co-operative Enterprise Council (NB) acted as the community co-lead. Leandre Landry and his staff at Atlantic Co-operative Publishers Limited generously provided the skills and expertise in publishing, with funding and support from Co-op Atlantic and The Co-operators, to produce this book. The Board and staff of the Sussex & Studholm Agricultural Society #21 (SSAS), including Dave Arsenault, Sally Colpitts, Brian McCullum and Wendy Virtue were incredibly helpful providing suggestions, materials and historical information to inform this book. We also wish to thank those former and current SSAS members and employees who generously donated their time to be interviewed for this project: their memories and memorabilia were critical to constructing the history of the SSAS. John Elliott, a local teacher and historian provided his time and expertise to trace the family history of the original members of the SSAS and also helped the committee obtain photos included in this publication.

This history project was funded under the National Cluster of the Measuring the Co-operative Difference Research Network, led by Quintin Fox of the Canadian Co-operative Association and Dr. Luc Thériault of the University of New Brunswick.

Order the book today!
sussex-mgr@co-opsonline.com
506-432-1841

May 31st, Fredericton Launch, Charlotte Street Arts Centre 6pm

The Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network and the Measuring the Co-operative Difference Research Network cordially invite you to a celebratory reception to launch two new publications:

Mapping the Social Economy of Atlantic Canada: Profiles of Community Partners by Noreen Millar

Determined to Prosper: The Story of Sussex Co-op, the Oldest Agricultural Society in the World by David Bent

Authors will present their books and be available for questions. There will also be a live and recorded radio broadcast at the event.

FREE! REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED! JOIN US!

More details in this flyer 

Plus de détails en Francais

RSVP by contacting Erin Hancock