As summer approaches, many communities are preparing for the barrage of Phoenicians that will soon head out to explore vibrant (and cool) rural destinations. We chatted with #RuralAZ Local First Arizona member, Jen Luria, co-creator of Bisbee-based Dog Cat Mouse Media on how to make your community stand out.

The town of Camp Verde and Local First Arizona have partnered together to launch a regional agricultural brand called ‘Verde Grown’. Verde Grown is a celebration of the hard-working communities that have stayed connected to their agricultural roots and who act as stewards of the Verde River. Support of Verde Grown producers and products strengthens the resiliency, sustainability, and economic vitality of the Verde Valley region and Central Arizona.

The Village of Tubac recently launched an initiative to create a community brand that illustrates the rich heritage and unique creativity that abounds within their community. With intent to gather as much community input as possible, the Tubac Chamber of Commerce invited a number of local merchants and community members to participate in the community project led by Local First Arizona in partnership with the Arizona Office of Tourism to ensure an outcome that was representative of the community, its residents, and its businesses.

If you’ve been following the GLOCULL Pilot Project Series, you are familiar with the innovative stories of farmland, sustainable business, and indigenous foods projects, but you might be wondering what’s next for GLOCULL partners at ASU’s School of Sustainability and School for the Future of Innovation in Society, City of Phoenix, and City of Tempe. We turned our focus toward what policy work needs to be done and where small businesses, food producers, and advocates can focus their efforts in 2021.

The Haunted Group has done it again; The Clinkscale Hotel, Bar and Grill is now open for business in Jerome. The Haunted Group is credited with putting Jerome and Cottonwood on the map by introducing fresh concepts to these beloved historical towns. The Haunted Group is known for local favorites like the Haunted Hamburger, the Tavern Hotel and Pizzeria Bocce and has created destinations that are loved by Phoenicians, out-of-state travelers and locals alike.

Local First Arizona recently introduced an ongoing series about GLOCULL Pilot Projects, a series of projects aimed at moving the needle toward a thriving local and sustainable food economy with both local and global support. With ongoing partnerships with ASU’s School of Sustainability and School for the Future of Innovation in Society, City of Phoenix, and City of Tempe, we will continue to explore these innovative projects. The first project was a Coalition of Farmland Preservation.

Food Systems sit at the intersection of water, energy, and food—we need each of these components to produce the other components- they are interdependent industries. Diving into this Food-Water-Energy (FWE) nexus to address social, environmental, and economic issues, while ensuring there is enough healthy and affordable food to feed our community, is a complex endeavor.

Local First Arizona has been a champion for localized economic development in Arizona since 2003, and in that time we’ve never seen a greater challenge to sustaining community resiliency than that posed in 2020. LFA works in partnership with communities, organizations, and businesses to bridge “traditional” economic development with models that strengthen local resilience and address disparities across urban and rural Arizona. We focus the work on unique economic development strategies that aim to keep local dollars circulating in local communities, create jobs one at a time, and build stronger connections to place for those that continue to choose Arizona as their home.

It’s no secret that Arizona’s housing market is booming. Due to this growth however, many communities are now experiencing housing shortages, especially in rural Arizona. The result is a lack of housing available at a price point attainable for the majority of the working class.

In the United States, agricultural land is being lost at an alarming rate—over 1.5 million acres per year. This dramatic decline in farmland reflects a nationwide expansion of urban development that is putting high-quality farmland at risk. Arizona and Maricopa County face similar issues with farmland loss. Between 1997 and 2017, 36% of all farmland in Maricopa County was lost, and rapid urban development and the high cost of land continues to threaten the security of community farmers and the local food system. 

While many rural Arizona communities have been facing workforce challenges for years, COVID-19 highlighted the need to rethink traditional workforce practices. Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) is a demand-driven, employer-led approach to closing the skills gap; building talent supply chains aligned to dynamic business needs. Local First Arizona has been innovative in pivoting this model to focus on crisis and recovery, as well as the evolving needs of Arizona’s rural employers.

With an interest in convening as many community stakeholders as possible, the City partnered with the Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce, Local First AZ Rural Development Council, and the Arizona Office of Tourism to ensure an outcome that was representative of the City, its residents, its businesses, and Casa Grande’s place in Arizona as a whole.

With a focus on building opportunity for all Arizonans, Governor Ducey announced in his State of the State Address a new partnership with the Local First AZ Rural Development Council (AZRDC). Recognizing that “small business is the backbone of our economy,” the Rural Jobs Initiative will focus on getting rural Arizonans back to work while bolstering our local economies.

An interesting convergence of rural development strategies formed in the Verde Valley reveals how effective it can be when non-profit capacity, volunteerism and access to capital solutions converge to address a common rural challenge: affordable workforce housing.

If there is one Arizona town that’s sure to kindle nostalgia for an era through which you may not have even lived , its Kingman. If you’re passionate about electric cars, neon lights, and diners; or if you’re wanting to capture some unique shots for your 1950’s Insta hashtag; do yourself a favor and visit Kingman. Kingman delivers a one of a kind experience because of its ability to provide a perfect balance of both retro and modern day vibes.

According to federal statistics, Arizona’s job growth rates are flourishing - ranking our state as having the fourth fastest-growing economy in the country. The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity has supported these findings with projections of continued prosperity through 2020. Yet, in taking a closer look at the numbers, we realize the data gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census Bureau is dangerously skewed by the growth of metro Maricopa County; overlooking the dire reality of rural Arizona.

If you asked me one month ago for my perception of teachers in the Arizona public school system, I would have scoffed, rolled my eyes, and launched into my usual rhetoric about my son being set up to fail, that teachers are just tired and unmotivated place-holders in a classroom full of deteriorating minds, and that my son would be better off finding a passion and focusing on that because there was no way he was going to learn anything anyway.

Earlier this month, nearly 300 rural stakeholders, leaders, and advocates convened for the 13th Annual Rural Policy Forum, hosted by the Arizona Rural Development Council (AZRDC). Representatives from all 15 counties traversed the state for the two-day conference in the White Mountains, eager to seek new solutions for building stronger, more resilient rural economies across Arizona.