Building a Local Food System in Cochise County

The communities in Cochise County in Southern Arizona have a passionate and dedicated group of change-makers who are hard at work in the cooperative extension office. Recently, Evelyn Whitmer, who focuses on collective impact for the Cochise County Cooperative Extension, was kind enough to share the latest good food news happening in Bisbee, Willcox, Sierra Vista, and elsewhere around Cochise County.  

Here are three exciting, new initiatives that are moving the needle for the development of a local food system in Cochise County:

The Echoing Hope Ranch & Farm to School Program works with autistic teens, bringing a ranch or farm experience into schools—teaching students about farming and food production. Fresh produce taste-testing has helped the students gain an understanding of farming on a deeper level and has connected them to the place where their meal is being grown or produced. Local growers are championed, and deep community connections are made.

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a statewide program that offers $50 worth of coupons for low-income seniors to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets and farm stands. With this program’s funding also comes the ability to purchase fresh produce in bulk directly from local farmers, and provide it to seniors in the community. Pinnacle Prevention is partnering with Cochise County Cooperative Extension and Sulphur Springs Valley Produce Co-Op to bring Cochise-county grown produce to seniors this October and November. The Tombstone Food Bank and Benson Food Pantry are stepping in to distribute the produce to their senior patrons. This partnership has reached senior populations that otherwise would not have benefitted from the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and its continuation can help strengthen the Cochise County local food system.

The Cochise Leadership Academy is a course designed for leaders of all types, from emerging leaders to those seeking to advance their existing leadership skills. The community-based projects must have outcomes that focus on and promote policy, systems, and environmental changes. The extension is proud to sponsor forward-thinking leaders who are creating pop-up farmers markets that expand fresh produce access across the region, community gardens in the area, and those who are offering nutrition programming.

To learn more about the exciting food system development and work happening in Cochise County, check out the Cooperative Extension Office’s website and Instagram.