Green Cart: Shopping for the Environment

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Erica

Today’s Local First Arizona member spotlight is on the Shop to be Green:

With Earth Month in full force, we stumbled across a Local First Arizona find that has us rethinking about the things we use on a daily basis. Shop to be Green is a treasure chest loaded with products intended to help us move toward a more earth-friendly lifestyle – one small step at a time. It stocks an impressive collection of items made from recycled goods, reclaimed wood, as well as local and organic products. While perusing their website, we found a purse made from cork, a messenger bag and wallet from upcycled fire hose, dinnerware made from fallen palm leaves, and so much more. Shop to be Green aims to sell quality items we will love and feel good about and can be found at various farmer’s markets and events across the Valley (see their website for locations of their pop-up shop). Environmentally friendly is no longer for tree huggers and granolas alone – just a few tweaks in our everyday routine can do wonders. After all, it takes just a few small changes to make a big impact.

Shop to be Green
10105 E Via Linda, Ste. 103-352
Scottsdale, AZ 85258 
(623) 252-5470

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Why eating local matters

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Russ

by Deanna Chevas
Reprinted from Food Conspiracy Co-op News

Up to 98% of what Arizonans eat comes from outside the state. At the same time, Arizona exports about 98% of food grown or produced here. This requires an elaborate transport system with storage facilities, middlemen and trucks and heavy reliance on fossil fuels.

You might guess that farming could be more profitable if Arizona farmers sold to Arizona consumers. It’s true.

Tucson residents find fresh fruits and vegetables at the local farmers market (credit: Arizona Daily Star)

Food system analyst Ken Meter calculates that if everyone in Southern Arizona spent just $5 more a week buying directly from local farmers, average farm sales would nearly double, jumping from $300 million to $587 million. Since regional farmer-to-consumer sales currently constitute only $2 million of the $3.3 billion total consumer food sales – a mere .006% — the growth potential is enormous.

The Arizona Farm Bureau reports that Arizona agriculture is a $10.3 billion industry and it’s growing. Southern Arizona now enjoys an expanding number of farms. Among local food cultivators are the Desert Treasures Citrus & Date Groves, English Fruit Farm, Forever Young Farm, Grassroots Company, San Xavier Cooperative Farm, Sleeping Frog Farms and Walking J Farm.

Local food, like local business, is a critical economic driver for Tucson. Buying from a local farmer, not only supports that farmer, it supports local jobs. For example, Walking J Farm in Amado uses a Tucson hatchery for its turkeys; sources feed containing non-GMO corn grown in Cochise County from Chiracahua Pasture Raised Meats; purchases pet supplies from a local store; and will soon hire a garden foreman to support an expansion of their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

Like local business owners, local farmers create second tier jobs by hiring local graphic designers, accountants, sign makers and other professionals and by making purchases of feed and supplies from other local proprietors. In other words, farmers are rooted in their community economically as well as agronomically.

You don’t have to give up foods you love that don’t grow in Arizona. And you don’t have to spend any additional money. Within your existing budget, try to shift $5 a week to produce, meat or foods, like jam or honey, which are grown, raised or produced in Arizona. If you can, join a CSA, where you pay in advance to a farmer for a fixed period. This gives the farmer a steady income stream, while you receive a share of fresh produce each week.

Buying more local food strengthens farms and improves food quality, while keeping more money in our community. By buying local we keep our money where our home is and that’s good for all of us.

Look for local food producers and growers on the Local First Arizona online directory on the Local Food and Agriculture page at www.LocalFirstAZ.com.

Stay connected to the local movement and learn how you can shift the way you shop by signing up for the weekly Local First Arizona e-newsletter.

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Members Mixer Recap: Cactus Flower Glendale

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Erica

Thank you Cactus Flower for hosting us!

Our April mixer helped kick off Spring amongst the beautiful floral arrangements at Cactus Flower Glendale. Though we met at their West side location for this month’s meeting, we learned that Cactus Flower has six different locations, all over the Valley! Another reason why this local florist is a great place? They have Happy Hour every Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. where you can get 50% off all fresh cut flowers. Thank you to Cactus Flower for hosting us & providing nosh from locally owned neighbor & business, Babbo Italian Eatery. Special thanks to Fred Luoma, Owner of Cactus Flower and Tiffany Sellwood, Director of Online Marketing.

Members in Attendance:

It was a great turn out, come network with us at our next mixer!

Accountingprose
Bedmart
Deb’s Glass Designs
Desert Schools Federal Credit Union
Design Source Furniture
Doozy of a Deal
Dotted & Crossed Marketing
Epic Hot Dogs
Excell Direct
Geoff Reed Photography
Gil’s Handyworks
Hug ‘n Pups
Mad For Wood
One Source Fleet Solutions
Rosenberg Community Builders
Rowdy Kitchen
Silver Oak Software
Sound Packaging

Don’t forget to join us for our next month’s Seminar & Mixer!

Contact Chrisal at chrisal@localfirstaz.com for more information.

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Member Spotlight: Tour Our Great State

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Deanna

If you could kick back in a cool, comfortable motor coach while someone else does the driving and be guaranteed to see the hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path spots in Arizona, wouldn’t you sign up in a heart beat?

Meet Karen Walter, your guide to amazing and beautiful locales in Arizona. She is owner/operator of Sonoran Excursions, a new tour company based in Casa Grande. For the past seven years she has been exploring and discovering every corner of her adopted home of Arizona. Now she is ready to show you the best of what she has discovered.

Karen hails from the East Coast and has found love in Arizona: the amazing landscapes and variation in climates that can satisfy every outdoor enthusiast. When she was looking to leave Maryland behind, she narrowed her search to outdoor states in the West. After a two week trip, Arizona became her adopted home. Among the appeals of Arizona are its proximity to Mexico where she and her mother can access the Caribbean foods they miss since moving to the States. She appreciates the varied climates allowing a person to snow ski and return to the heat in one day.

When asked about her top five favorite places in Arizona she laughs, saying, “Surprisingly, Yuma.” This, from a self-identified New Yorker! Having a food scientist for a father, Karen has a deep appreciation of agriculture and marvels at the fact that Yuma is the top U.S. producer of lettuce. Her Yuma trips also include a walking trip into Mexico for dining and shopping.

Another highlight of her excursions is Canyon de Chelly where the native people welcome visitors sharing their beautiful culture and amazing landscape. “This is a true hidden gem,” she states, “and is quite accessible.”

A few of her in-state tours coming up for your get-away enjoyment are:

  • Grand Canyon day tour with stop in Sedona, July 21
  • Sedona day tours, May 12 & June 6
  • Southern Arizona Wine day trip from Phoenix and Tucson visiting local wineries and vineyards and tasting some of AZ finest ‘juice’. Trip to art village of Patagonia for lunch round out the experience, May 31 & Aug 11.
  • Tucson day trips from Phoenix includes trip to AZ-Sonora Desert Museum & Old Town Artisans, May 1 and June 26.
  • Phoenix day trips from Tucson highlight points of interest including Paradise Valley and Wrigley Mansion as well as shopping in Old Town Scottsdale, May, June, July & August

Traveling is the best part of Karen’s job, she says, and the people she meets run a close second. Tucson takes the cake for most fantastic people, according to Karen. There she has found incredible support and encouragement from people she often doesn’t even know. Tucson also made it to Karen’s list of top five places she loves best in Arizona, thanks to the people and the awesome Asian markets.

Book a tour with Karen soon. You will be glad you did.

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Going Loco Trying To Find This Local: Everything For Your Eyes

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Erica

The monthly column “Going Loco Trying to Find This Local!” was created an effort to shed some light on how to further support the local movement.  In this column, we examine the challenges in finding particular items at locally-owned and independent businesses. We understand that we may not have hit every possible option with our recommendations, so if you know where you can get our monthly item(s) locally, please share your knowledge with us in the comments section!

These cool shades from Sunglass Garage will be great protection from the hot summer sun!

Are you on your last pair of contacts? Did you just accidentally step on your glasses? Or are you looking for a new set of shades to protect your eyes from the bright Arizona sun? Before you make plans to get your eyes examined or head to the big-box sunglasses store, check out these local options for everything you need for your eyes:

Sunglass Garage
Shop online! www.sunglassgarage.com
(602) 464-3136

Dr Guy T McDougal and Associates PC
1121 S Gilbert Road, Ste 103, Mesa, AZ 85204
480-854-3310

Alvernon Optical, Inc. (multiple locations)
440 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85711 | (520) 327-6215 
2820 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719 | (520) 323-3937
7123 E. Tanque Verde, Tucson, AZ 85715 | (520) 296-4157
4747 E. Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718 | (520) 299-4000

The Village Eye Works
539 E. Glendale Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85020
(602) 258-5040

Avant Garde Eye Care
10006 W Happy Valley Rd, #1250, Peoria, AZ 85383
(623) 566-EYES

Casas Adobes Optical, Inc. a div of Alvernon Optical, Inc.
6987 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ 85704
(520) 297-2501

Flagstaff Vision
1505 South Yale Street, Flagstaff, AZ
(928) 779-5600

Eye Priority, P.C.
15725 S. 46th St., Suite 112, Phoenix, AZ 85048
(480) 893-2300

Rummel Eye Care (2 locations)
1022 Willow Creek Rd., Suite 200, Prescott, AZ 86301 | (928) 445-1341
2517 Great Western Dr., Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 | (928) 775-4066

Precision Eyecare
7970 E Thompson Peak Pkwy, 102, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(480) 874-3937

Corona Optique
2149 West 24th Street, Yuma, Arizona
(928) 726-1100

John C. Lincoln Health Network
Multiple locations
623-879-6100

Cosmetic Surgical Art Center
3920 S. Alma School Road Suite #1, Chandler, AZ 85248
(480) 814-1112

Have you been a customer at any of these businesses? Where is your favorite place to buy sunglasses? Let us know in the comments section!

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This Week’s Shift Recommendation: Going Green

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Erica

Every week, we make a suggestion for how you can easily shift the way you shop and support local businesses! Here is this week’s SHIFT recommendation:


Earth Day is Sunday, April 22nd. This is the perfect chance to visit the many LFA members who have green and eco-friendly businesses. If you are looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day, check out what some of our members are doing here. Thanks to our members who go green!

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Earth Day 2012 – Celebrate Your Planet!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Erica

Hopefully this wonderful Spring weather inspires you to enjoy the outdoors, and appreciate our Earth and everything it offers us. If you’re seeking to celebrate our planet (or want to learn about ways to protect it), check out this list of great, local Earth Day events. Earth Day is officially Sunday, April 22, but events are happening all this week and through the rest of the month!

Earth Day Phoenix
Friday, April 20, 11am-1:30pm
Cesar Chaves Plaza (directly across from Phoenix City Hall)
Come celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day! Join Keep Phoenix Beautiful in downtown Phoenix at our adopted park, Cesar Chavez Plaza, directly across from City Hall. You’ll learn about recycling and sustainability, take home useful giveaways and share your enthusiasm with thousands of environmentally minded attendees! More info here.

Local First Arizona Seminar: A Guide for the 21st Century Business – Understanding How to be Sustainable & Values Driven
Wednesday, April 25, 6pm-7pm 
Vermillion Photo Studio, 124 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, Arizona 85003
Cost: $5 prepaid, $8 at the door
Normally, Local First Arizona seminars are open only to LFA members, but this month’s seminar is open to LFA supporters as well! Our April seminar will be an exciting panel discussion that will include industry experts and local business owners discussing what they feel are easy steps for businesses in various industries to take towards achieving the triple bottom line (People, Planet, & Profit), followed by direct questions from audience with panel interaction. Find out more info and register here.

Earth Day 2012: We Are The World
Friday, April 20, 4pm-7:30pm
Main Gate Square on University Boulevard
Hosted by The University of Arizona (UA) students, the UA Office of Sustainability, and Main Gate Square, with promotional support from Mrs. Green and the Southern Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce, the event will feature live entertainment, activities for kids and families, and interactive demonstrations. As many as 60 UA programs and local businesses and organizations will be on hand to inform and engage the Tucson community about their work to make our region and world more sustainable—come and learn how you can participate! More info here.

Celebrate Earth Day by Going Organic with Boxed Greens
Sunday, April 22
On April 22nd, people from countries all across the world will unite in their celebration of Earth Day. For those of us who actively participate in the organic and natural foods industry, there may be no holiday that is more significant to what we are trying to accomplish. The products that we carry are all the beautiful end result of environmental legislation, hard work of dedicated growers and activism that have occurred in the past 30+ years, much of which was born out of the Earth Day Movement. More info here.

Earth Day at the Phoenix Zoo
Saturday, April 21, 9am-4pm 
Phoenix Zoo: 455 North Galvin Parkway Phoenix, AZ 85008
Come and see what the Zoo is doing for conservation at the Zoo, across Arizona, and throughout the world. Learn about how the Phoenix Zoo has been helping the planet since it first opened its doors 50 years ago! Also learn what you can do to reduce, reuse, and recycle! More info here.

Conservation Day at the Rio Salado Audubon Center
Saturday, April 21, 8am-12pm
Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center: 3131 South Central Avenue, Phx, AZ 85040
Looking for a way to make difference in the community? Join Audubon’s dedicated staff and volunteers for one (or more!) of our conservation days (every 3rd Saturday). Help us prepare a pollinator garden along Rio Salado to attract birds, butterflies, and other important pollinators while working to beautify South Phoenix. More info here.

Peoria’s 3rd Annual River and Trails Clean Up and Earth Day Celebration
Saturday, April 21, 2012  7am–10am
New River Wash near Union Hills
In recognition of Earth Day, the City of Peoria will be partnering once again with Arizona Clean and Beautiful to hold it’s 3rd Annual River and Trail Clean-Up on April 21, 2012. Last year over 200 volunteers came together to clean 95 acres of river and trails. Arizona Clean and Beautiful will be supplying drinking water and trash bags for all volunteers. The City of Peoria will provide 25 trees for planting. Fill out the volunteer form and find more info here.

Sea of Green Hydrogardens Celebrates 20 Years
Friday, April 27 & Saturday, April 28
Tucson and Phoenix stores
Sea Of Green is Arizona’s Original Urban Garden Store, celebrating 20 years of serving AZ’s gardening community. Join us this April for celebratory events. We will be hosting two event days, one at Phoenix North and the other at Tucson East, as well as a 3 day 20% sale at all five locations. More info here.

Arizona League of Conservation Voters 3rd Annual Earth Night Celebration
Saturday, April 21, 6pm-9pm
Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, 3131 S. Central Ave., Phoenix
We invite you to join us and take advantage of this opportunity to get to know AZLCV & AZLCV Ed Fund board and staff, political & environmental leaders, and other members! Last year many came and we had a fantastic time mingling, snacking on tasty hors d’oeuvres and desserts, and enjoying fine beverages. Tickets are $45 through April 20. Find more info and buy tickets here.

Make a Sweet Donation to the Environmental Fund for Arizona
April 16-21
Urban Cookies: 4711 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014
All this week (4/16-21) our friends at Urban Cookies are donating a portion of proceeds from sales of their Earth Cakes cupcakes to EFAZ! If you haven’t tried their cookies or cupcakes before, you’re in for a heavenly treat. They are scrumptious beyond words! Our favorites are their Urban Cookie, Oatmeal Raising, and Peanut Butter. They also recently won top honors on the Food Network’s ‘Cupcake Wars!’ More info here.

West Side Story: Growing Green
Tuesday, April 24, 8:00am-12pm
Peoria Council Chamber: 8401 West Monroe Street, Peoria, AZ 85345
Tips for CEOs, business owners and others looking to GROW Revenue and Earnings by tapping in to the Green Revolution. Green money is good money! Registration is $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Register and find more info here.

You can also visit plenty of local, eco-friendly, and green businesses to help protect our planet. By supporting local, green business, you multiply your impact of creating sustainable environments and communities!

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The 5th Annual Record Store Day is April 21!

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Erica


Musicians, groupies, lovers of vinyl, and all music enthusiasts: the 5th Annual Record Store Day is fast approaching! Record Store Day was established to celebrate “the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally.” It is a day that all of these independent record stores can come together to celebrate and appreciate music with their respective communities.

To honor this occasion, local record stores all over Arizona will be hosting special events and selling limited edition and exclusive items. You can find a whole list of participating record stores in Arizona here, but the following is a list of what Local First Arizona members will be up to for Record Store Day:

Zia Records
Multiple locations in Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe, and Chandler!
Zia Records has epic plans for this year’s Record Store Day, including special in-store-only releases, events, and performances! They will also be releasing their own local music compilation “You Heard Us Back When, Volume 6” featuring local bands and musicians from Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas! Proceeds from the sales of the Local compilation will be donated to The Beer For Brains Foundation. All stores will open at 9am. More info here.

Hoodlums Music and Movies
6434 S. McClintock Dr, Tempe, AZ 85283
480-775-2722
Hoodlums Music is preparing for Record Store Day… with 263 exclusive music items and a book! They’ll be ready for you and open at 9am. You can watch an informative video that Hoodlums put together to help you navigate the day. More info here.

Stinkweeds
12 W Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85013
602-248-9461
Stop by Stinkweeds on Record Store Day to enjoy some live music and hang out with other music lovers.  You can start your window shopping by looking at this list of items that will be released just for this day. More info here.

If you can’t make it out to any of these locations for the festivities, remember to check out the full list of participating record stores in Arizona.  And don’t forget to support your favorite local record store or independent business when purchasing music in the future. You can check out all of the Local First Arizona members that sell music and records here.  Enjoy the day, and rock on!

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This Week’s Shift Recommendation: Security

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Erica

Every week, we make a suggestion for how you can easily shift the way you shop and support local businesses! Here is this week’s SHIFT recommendation:


Go local when you choose a Security Service to protect your home and business.

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Kimber Lanning: Collaboration is key to small business success

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Erica

Courtesy: The Payson Roundup

Local First Arizona Executive Director Kimber Lanning travels all over the state to talk to community leaders, business owners, and residents about the “buy local” movement. Recently, she was in Payson speaking to a group for the Business Buzz luncheon, sharing her story as a small business owner and discussing the topic of collaboration. Collaboration, according to Lanning, can make the difference in the failure or prosperity of a small business.  She stressed that more collaboration needs to occur throughout Arizona:

“When I travel around the state, I don’t see enough collaboration… You are all in the same boat together and you need to not only be thinking about what you do, but what others need to know about what your community is like.”

To further her point, Lanning highlighted her experience with her art gallery in Downtown Phoenix.  When she first moved in, the area surrounding her gallery was a blighted neighborhood.  Years later, the area is now known as Roosevelt Row, and is a bustling arts scene with multiple galleries, shops, bars, and restaurants.  Lanning claimed that collaboration with these other businesses is the key to the success of the Downtown Arts District.

“Regional thinking creates new dollars for all,” Lanning emphasized.  Rather than solely thinking about one’s own business success, thinking about the whole community is a better strategy to bring in more dollars for everyone.

Local First Arizona has been working to facilitate this collaborative mindset with a new series of videos titled WeekendZona.  The first video is about the Verde Valley, and features lots of unique, local businesses to patron while in the area.  With these sorts of regional endeavors, Local First Arizona hopes to encourage increased support for all of the local businesses by spreading knowledge of what the region has to offer.  You can watch the video here!

How have you thought about collaborating with nearby local businesses?  What have been some of your success stories?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Read the full coverage of Kimber Lanning’s talk by The Payson Roundup here.

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