Hear from the Creator of “The Story of Arizona’s Good Food” & Learn Where Arizona’s Good Food System is Headed

“The Story of Arizona’s Good Food started as a love letter to our local farmers,” explains Somlynn Rorie, the film’s producer and co-director.

On November 25, 2024, KAET Arizona PBS Channel 8 will be airing the hour-long documentary The Story of Arizona’s Good Food. The film builds on the original Good Food Film docuseries that highlights the personal stories of Arizona farmers and producers: the people doing the good work of growing and providing healthy, fresh food to their communities as well as taking bold environmental and food sovereignty action to create a more resilient localized and regionalized food system. This, and having people value and support it, is the essence of a good food system.

Rorie, also the creator of the Good Food Film Series, explains why she made the original docuseries and forthcoming film:

“Farmers face many challenges, from a changing climate to the increasing loss of farmland and real threat of the extinction of local farmers. This project was a way to bring this conversation to the masses. I wanted people to meet our farmers and get closer to the issues. As the project progressed, I wanted to share how people can personally do something to support our local farmers.”

The film takes stories introduced in the original series and weaves them together to show the passion, drive, and struggles of those who grow vegetables, raise dairy cows, plant corn using Hopi dryland farming, forage the abundance of the Sonoran desert for food and healing, and struggle to continue farming in a rapidly developing state.

So, what did those behind-the-scenes learn during the journey of making the film, and how has it influenced the future of food system work in the state?

Telling the Stories of Arizona’s Farmers, Foragers & Good Food

When Rorie first began working as the Food & Farms Initiative Manager at Local First Arizona in 2021, she walked the fields with farmers. It was then that she learned what they needed the most: for more people to know they existed and to show up for them.

While she was brainstorming ways to answer this need, COVID-19 happened. With so many people relegated to their homes and screens, she saw an opportunity to create a short film series that would enable people to see – and value – the contribution of local farmers and food caretakers. Over the span of a year, she and her filming partner, John Wright, created one short film a month.

“We traveled across Arizona and learned about the challenges these farmers face and dug into what motivated them to enter the farming and food space. It was also an opportunity for us to showcase Arizona’s local food landscape and show why local food and growers are important to the vitality of our local economy,” explains Rorie.

The Good Food Film Series was popular among foodies, educators, students, food system advocates, and farmers themselves. When an opportunity to partner with PBS on a one-hour documentary building on the series came around, Local First Arizona found a dedicated sponsor in the United Food Bank, who was equally enthusiastic about supporting local growers, and began the task of creating The Story of Arizona’s Good Food.

From indoor mushroom growers to restaurant chefs who understand the beauty of sourcing locally and seasonally, the film showcases the diversity of Arizona’s farmers and food businesses.

The film opens with an urban farmer explaining his personal motivation for entering the agriculture space: survival. After seeing how small growers saved people from starvation during an economic crisis in his home country of Zimbabwe, farmer Rodney Machokoto knew the power of growing your own food. We then meet Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a Hopi dryland farmer, in his stone house built on the Little Colorado Plateau in Northeastern Arizona, and he explains how he plants corn to fit the environment, rather than manipulating the environment to fit the corn.

One story, in particular, had a profound impact on Rorie:

“Twila Cassadore’s story was one that shook me to the core. I learned how food is not just about what we eat, but food – and foraging for food – can heal psychological, emotional, and physical trauma. Spending time with Twila and listening to her share how she is able to heal herself and her community through foraging was one of my favorite memories and experiences,” shares Rorie.

Challenges & Hope

Alongside idyllic scenes of lush kale growing in neat rows, cows chewing their cud and farmers washing fresh produce, the film also shows another side of agriculture that isn’t as cinematic: the challenges farmers face in a hotter, drier, and more crowded state.

One farmer in the film poignantly discusses the complexities of farming – particularly in a state that is experiencing extreme drought and rapid development. David Vose of Blue Sky Organic Farms lost nearly half of his farmland due to urban development. He questions why farmers are seen as standing in the way of expanding population centers; rather, shouldn’t farming be an integral part of communities? That way development can happen but not at the cost of extinguishing farmers and prime farmland (where most development is occurring) – and then everyone gets fed.

Additionally, farmers face a diminishing water supply and increasingly hotter growing (and working) conditions. Amelia Flores, Chairwoman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes discusses the urgent need to collaborate on water issues as Arizona’s multiyear drought is affecting everyone, particularly agricultural users.

Yet, despite these challenges, farmers remain resilient and determined to survive.

Just like the profiled farmers, Rorie hopes there is room for both agriculture and growing cities. In her opinion, a good food system exists when “the community values their local farmers and they are a source of pride.”

The film captures a bustling morning at the Prescott Farmers Market, which Rorie points to as a great example of a hyper-local good food system.

“The community supports their farmers by showing up regularly to the market. Chefs from local restaurants source their menu items there, and the community knows their local growers,” she says. “The very heart of this film was listening to farmers repeatedly saying we really need people to care about us and show up for us if farming is going to be a part of Arizona and remain viable.”

To enable that Arizonans can continue feeding Arizonans and not rely on imported food staples, Rorie stresses the need for a good food system that goes beyond the farmers market: “It must extend deeper into the folds of the community. Farmers and aspiring growers need access to land and places to grow food, as well as tools and support that guide them through growing with less water and in regenerative ways, and understanding how to maximize seasonal growing cycles. Also, finding ways to get that food to local businesses like restaurants, butcher shops, food hubs, and making local food more accessible for people with busy lives.”

“This film is just a snapshot, and there’s so much more work that needs to be done,” adds Rorie.

The Future of Arizona’s Good Food System

That snapshot will be carried forward through dialogue with farmers and stakeholders in Arizona’s food system. Following the airing of The Story of Arizona’s Good Food – which you can watch on Arizona PBS, Hulu + Live TV, or PBS Passport App, a film panel discussion will be held on December 6, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Studios @ Mesa City Center. The event will be a perfect gathering place for anyone curious about where their food comes from and eager to learn about the power of a sustainable local food system. Reserve your seat via Eventbrite.

Since the release of the Good Food Film series, many exciting developments have taken place in the food system space. With historic funding being invested from the federal government to build, improve, and expand local and regional food systems, new initiatives, projects, and funding streams have been rolling out and will continue to be further developed.

Below are some valuable resources and programs dedicated to addressing the challenges mentioned in the film, which will shape how the future of food and farming will look like in Arizona.

The Southwest Regional Food Business Center

The Southwest Regional Food Business Center is working to improve opportunities for food and farm businesses across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. In collaboration with the USDA, the free services offered through this virtual Center will support small and underserved producers in different regions throughout the country by providing tailored assistance specific to each region’s needs. Services include access to local and regional supply chains, such as linking agricultural producers to wholesalers, distributors and institutions. Food and farming businesses will be able to take advantage of practical and useful resources, upcoming funding opportunities and local and regional network partners.

Local First Arizona, along with the Arizona Department of Agriculture and the University of Arizona, are serving as Arizona partners on the state’s dedicated hub and are engaged with a diverse network of technical assistance partners that provide tailored 1-1 assistance to producers and food businesses, such as business plan development, marketing tips and resources, accessing institutional markets, business entity formation, cooperative development, and many other services. The Southwest Regional Food Business Center will also provide financial assistance through upcoming Business Builder Grants to support projects focused on regional needs and businesses that are working towards expansion and other investments. Learn more about the Center here.

The Arizona Climate-Smart Practices Program

A five-year grant project developed by the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts in collaboration with 13 organizations, including Local First Arizona, to support local producers already using climate-friendly growing practices and incentivize more producers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, such as planting diverse cover crops, crop rotation, mulching, low or no tillage, prescribed grazing, improving energy efficiencies and nutrient management. Arizona producers can participate and get paid for implementing contextually-driven conservation and climate-smart practices. The state has been particularly impacted by climate change because of extended megadrought conditions, making climate-smart solutions a necessary part of the state’s future and ability to grow food and fiber for its growing population. Learn more about the program here.

Arizona Alliance for Climate-Smart Crops

This three-year grant project – in partnership with the University of Arizona, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Local First Arizona, and others – incentivizes farmers to grow climate-smart crops like agave, prickly pear, and tepary beans and helps farmers trial and implement conservation practices like alley cropping, conservation cover, and reduced/no-till. Grant partners will also help develop new markets and revenue streams to help farms cover the costs and gain economic benefits of using farming practices that lower greenhouse gas emissions and sequester more carbon – all while using less water. Learn more about the program here.

To Learn More & Get Involved:

Learn more about the Film Premiere and Panel Discussion
Watch The Story of Arizona’s Good Food on PBS Arizona (Channel 8 in Central Arizona) at 8 p.m. on November 25, 2024
Register for the Panel Discussion on December 3 via Eventbrite
Watch the Good Food Fim Series here
Find a farmers market or farm store, sign up for a CSA from a local farmer, or choose “Arizona Grown” at your grocery store
Sign-up for Local First Arizona’s Good Food Systems newsletter to watch and read the stories of your local farmers and ranchers, attend foodie events, stay in the loop on the progress of Climate-Smart Programs, and learn where to purchase products from Arizona farmers, ranchers, & food businesses
Access the Southwest Regional Food Business Center here or email taylor@localfirstaz.com; explore resources and subscribe to its newsletter here

Annie GodinNovember 20, 2024pbs, good food, good food finder