Produced by Local First Arizona’s Good Food Finder, The Good Food Film Series will feature monthly, independent short film releases dedicated to documenting and sharing Arizona’s food access stories and the societal challenges the farming and food community face through February 2022. These are stories of the often unseen heroes, doing the good work of not only growing and providing healthy, fresh food to our communities but also taking bold environmental and food sovereignty action to create a more sustainable and just local food system.

During Black History Month, you might find yourself inspired by the leaders of the past who moved the needle on creating a more just and equitable nation. You would be equally remiss to skip learning about Black leaders who are shaping Arizona today and tirelessly working to build a stronger, more vibrant place we are proud to call home One such leader is Coral Evans; the first black mayor for the city of Flagstaff and who currently serves as Northern Arizona Director for Senator Mark Kelly. Get to know her below and read about what gives her hope for the future.

Valentine's Day is the day of love, not only to our friends and family but also towards local businesses! What better way to show the love than to support a local businesswoman who opened her business Princess Anna Bowtique on social networks in 2018. Owner Maricela offers hair bows, 100% handmade knit headbands, velvet knot headbands, and scrunchies.

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.

February is Black History Month; it’s a time to educate ourselves about the deep-rooted racism in our country’s history, and more importantly, commit ourselves to build a more just and equal world for all. This year’s BHM comes after a year of protest and a public health crisis that disproportionately affected businesses and people of color. So we’ve put together a guide to help you honor black history, build awareness, and find your role in the local movement.

Devour at Home is fast approaching! An intimate food festival in your own home and with your own rules, Devour at Home is an event you do not want to miss! When you purchase your pre-order meal you can look forward to over 20 of the valley's best chefs creating a three-course meal for four, Devour keepsakes, contests with grand prizes and virtual experiences with the chefs. We want to make sure you’re totally prepared for this exciting food event; check out the rest of this guide for what to expect.

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.

Native Women Entrepreneurs of Arizona is a supportive social network for native women business owners. NWEAZ Indigenous women business owners acknowledge their accomplishments and with their collective voices bring to attention the concerns of their business communities. LFA is proud to be a sponsor of this new organization and work together to serve our diverse business community. Every day is a great day to learn about and celebrate Native American and Indigenous heritage! There are 22 sovereign Native nations that call Arizona home, and NWEAZ is a great resource to discover native business owners across the state and learn more about their heritage.

As a continuation of the GLOCULL Pilot Projects series, where we explore projects aimed at moving the needle toward a thriving local and sustainable food economy with both local and global support. Through 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 review the next installment of the series. Explore the united efforts behind supporting small, locally owned businesses, like Huss Brewing Company in their journey to make a sustainable shift.

In August of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., before a crowd of more than 250,000 people, gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech and called for an end to racism. On MLK Day today, we are proud to announce the inaugural cohort of the We Rise Business Accelerator program. These 12 Black business owners are part of the dream that Martin Luther King spoke of. And we are so excited to help them grow and see them become part of the fabric that builds a stronger, more diverse Arizona.

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.

Make your 2021 more eco-friendly by checking out the services of these newly certified green businesses! In a time of adversity, these businesses and nonprofits are creating positive change and building toward a more sustainable future. Support them by frequenting their business, engaging with them on social media, and sharing the word with your friends and family.

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.

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that supporting local is one of the most important things we can do to help keep dollars in our home and build a stronger Arizona economy. And guess what? Shopping local doesn’t have to totally change your routine. There are plenty of local products that are sold at the sometimes more accessible chain grocery stores and supermarkets. Check out this guide to some of our favorite foods and goodies that you can find in the store you visit every week.

Small business owners throughout the state have kept their eyes on the newest COVID-19 relief bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, with hopes that it would address their needs, the needs of their employees, and those of their communities. $288 billion has been allocated to aid small businesses and applications are set to open in early January 2021. Local First AZ Members, Aniles & Co., CPA Firm and Ironwood Ventures have provided a breakdown of the relief package and highlighted the most important information for small businesses

The New Year is always used as a time to resolve ourselves to do something different; whether that be to start a new hobby, pick up a new habit, or change something in our lives. As January first comes and goes, we hope that you make supporting local a part of your new year's resolutions and keep up with it all year long! With the ramifications of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to support Arizona small business owners. Check out this easy, 6-step guide to help you live like a ”Localist”. You can do one or all of them; even the smallest changes make a huge difference.

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.

Are you looking for a company to design an app for your business? Then you’ll want to meet Arturo Barron and Perla Johanna Razcon, founders of Kubik Technologies LLC.