Local First Arizona Foundation

“Program Service Expenses 0, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 IN 2017, LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION HOSTED THE ARIZONA FARMERCHEF CONNECTION, AN ANNUAL EVENT WITH THE MISSION OF BUILDING WHOLESALE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FOOD PRODUCERS AND BUYERS. THE FARMERCHEF CONNECTION HAS GROWN FROM BEING AN INTIMATE EVENT TO ONE THAT REACHED OVER 610 ATTENDEES OF ALL KINDS THIS YEAR. MORE THAN 50 OF ATTENDEES WERE REPRESENTED BY BUYERS LOOKING TO SET UP DIRECT WHOLESALE PURCHASE ACCOUNTS WITH ARIZONAS FOOD PRODUCERS. ADDITIONALLY, BUYERS WHO ATTENDED THIS YEAR DEPICTED A WIDE ARRAY OF THOSE LOOKING TO PROCURE CLOSER TO HOME, RANGING FROM LOCALLY-OWNED RESTAURANTS LIKE BINKLEYS TO LARGE-SCALE PURCHASERS SUCH AS FRYS AND ARAMARK. IN 2017, LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION COMPLETED FILMING AND PUBLISHED 15 VIDEOS IN SERIES DESIGNED TO BUILD CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CONSUMERS AND LOCAL FOOD PRODUCERS. THESE VIDEOS WILL BE USED TO SHOWCASE ARIZONAS UNIQUE LOCAL FOODS INDUSTRY AND FURTHER CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY.”

“Program Service Expenses 0, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION STAFF HOLD SERVES ON VARIOUS FOLLOWING BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND WORKING GROUPS IN FOOD POLICY ACROSS THE STATE TO NETWORK WITH OTHER FOOD SYSTEM ADVOCATES AND LOCAL POLICY OFFICIALS IN ORDER TO AFFECT CHANGE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHY LOCAL FOODS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND STRENGTHEN OUR FOOD SYSTEM ARIZONA FARM TO SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL ARIZONA HUNGER LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ARIZONA SCHOOL GARDEN NETWORK CITY OF TUCSON COMMISSION FOR FOOD SECURITY, HERITAGE AND ECONOMICSFLAGSTAFF FOOD LINK HEALTHY LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM WORKING GROUP MARICOPA COUNTY FOOD SYSTEM COALITION UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA CENTER FOR REGIONAL FOOD STUDIES YAVAPAI FOOD POLICY COUNCIL.”

“Program Service Expenses 0, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 AS THE STATES RURAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AZRDC, LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION HELPS RURAL BUSINESSES BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE AND REDUCE ECONOMIC LEAKAGE FROM THEIR PLACE BY PROVIDING BUSINESS OWNERS TOOLS AND RESOURCES INCLUDING NEW TECHNOLOGY TRAINING, MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES, AND STRATEGIES FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. ADDITIONALLY, AZRDC WORKS TO DRIVE NEW DOLLARS TO RURAL PLACES THROUGH INCREASING IN-STATE TOURISM BY LEVERAGING ARTS AND CULTURE, MAIN STREETS, AND AGRI-TOURISM. AZRDC ALSO WORKS TO EMPOWER RURAL ARIZONANS TO IMPROVE THEIR ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS WHICH HAS HEALTH AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR ALL RESIDENTS. AZRDC FACILITATES A STATEWIDE BLOG, WHICH GETS READ 14,000 TIMES PER MONTH, AN EMAIL LIST OF 15,213 SUBSCRIBERS AND LFA HAS OVER 600,000 SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS. THESE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR RURAL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROMOTE AND EDUCATE ALL ARIZONANS ABOUT ALL THAT RURAL ARIZONA HAS TO OFFER.”

“Program Service Expenses 0, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION PRESENTED THE ANNUAL ARIZONA RURAL POLICY FORUM, A VENUE FOR CONNECTING RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS, NONPROFITS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND OTHER RURAL STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SUSTAINING RURAL COMMUNITIES. THIS YEARS 11TH ANNUAL ARIZONA RURAL POLICY FORUM CONVENED 300 REPRESENTATIVES FROM EVERY ARIZONA COUNTY TO PARTICIPATE IN TWO AND A HALF DAYS OF WORKSHOPS, SPEAKERS, BREAKOUT SESSIONS, TOURS AND MORE. OVER 60 SPEAKERS FROM ARIZONA AND 2 NATIONAL LEADERS IN RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOINED US IN SAFFORD TO SHARE SUCCESSES AND BEST PRACTICES.”

“Program Service Expenses 0, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 IN ORDER TO GIVE LOCAL BUSINESSES THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BE COMPETITIVE, THE LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION CONDUCTS WORKSHOP AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE FOCUSED ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS, INCLUDING FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES, AND BRANDING STRATEGIES. IN 2017, THE FOUNDATION EXPANDED SCIENCE HAPPENS HERE, AN EDUCATIONAL GAME FOR STUDENTS GRADES 4 THROUGH 6 THAT INCLUDES COLLECTING TRADING CARDS WITH SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS ON THEM. THE KIDS VISIT THE LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES TO COLLECT THE CARDS, EACH OF WHICH CONTAINS ONE EXAMPLE OF SCIENCE RELATING TO THAT BUSINESS. THE GOAL OF SCIENCE HAPPENS HERE IS TWOFOLD TO HELP STUDENTS TO CONSIDER THE SCIENCE THAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD AROUND THEM AND TO GET THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY MORE INVOLVED WITH STEM EDUCATION. OVER 230 RURAL STUDENTS IN SAFFORD CONDUCTED SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS AND COMPETED FOR PRIZES. A 4TH GRADE CLASS WON THE TOP PRIZE, WHICH WAS DISSECTING A SHARK WITH THE TEAM FROM THE ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER.”

“Program Service Expenses 0, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 THE LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION RURAL TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM WORKS WITH BUSINESSES IN RURAL AREAS THROUGHOUT ARIZONA TO EDUCATE SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES ABOUT DIGITAL MARKETING TOOLS AND HOW THESE TOOLS CAN BRING THEM CLOSER TO CUSTOMERS AND BUSINESS SERVICES LOCATED WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.RESEARCH HAS EMERGED THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES IN ARIZONAS RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE LESS CONNECTED TO A NETWORK OF CUSTOMERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION WITHIN THEIR OWN ZIP CODE, TOWN, CITY OR EVEN THE STATE OF ARIZONA.THESE RURAL BUSINESSES ARE REGULAR USERS OF NATIONAL, OR INTERNATIONAL BRANDS, OF SERVICES FEDEX, KINKOS ONLINE, AMAZON SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THE PRINT SHOP, SHIPPING BUSINESS OR THE RETAILER LOCATED WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.AND, BECAUSE OF THIS, THESE POTENTIAL PARTNERS THE LOCAL PRINT SHOP, SHIPPING BUSINESS AND RETAILER ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS, AND THEIR EMPLOYEES LOSING JOBS, IN AREAS WHERE NEW BUSINESSES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS LIKELY TO EMERGE OR CREATE JOBS.”

“Program Service Expenses 0, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION IS WORKING TO HELP THESE BUSINESSES MOVE TO INEXPENSIVE AND EASY-TO-USE DIGITAL MARKETING MEDIUMS THAT CONNECT THEM WITH THEIR LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS. LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA FOUNDATION PROVIDES TRAINING WORKSHOPS, ON-GOING SUPPORT INFORMATION AND LAUNCH ASSISTANCE TO THESE BUSINESSES ABOUT BUILDING A WEBSITE, UTILIZING OPTIMIZATION TOOLS, PARTICIPATING IN SOCIAL MEDIA PARTICULARLY FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN AND TWITTER AND CREATING MOMENTUM THAT ENCOURAGES THEIR FELLOW BUSINESS MEMBERS AND NEARBY RURAL RESIDENTS TO DO THE SAME. LFAF HAS SERVED 132 RURAL SMALL BUSINESS THIS YEAR WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOPS AND ONGOING CONSULTING FOR IMPROVED BUSINESS CONNECTIVITY AND COMMUNITY.”