Discover More About Local Food in Arizona

Food Day is around the corner, and we want to remind everyone how important it is to support healthy local food. If you aren’t familiar with Food Day, its mission is to inspire community action in every city and state in the country, with individuals and organizations coming together on and around October 24th to learn, debate, and mobilize to improve our food system and the American diet. Food Day's national priorities address overarching concerns within the food system and provide common ground for building the food movement.

This year’s theme for Food Day is “Get growing. Get healthy. Get real,” and to help you do just that, here is a list of 5 ways you can find more information on local food production and procurement and why it’s important:

Use the Good Food Finder!

Good Food Finder AZ is our Arizona statewide, online directory of local foods. Our goal is to provide a hub where consumers and institutional food buyers alike can learn about and connect with Arizona’s local food providers in order to shorten food supply chains, improve access to local, healthy foods, and strengthen community resilience to create a healthier, sustainable food system in Arizona.

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, an outreach arm of The University of Arizona and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), is "Improving Lives, Communities and the Economy" by serving as a statewide network of knowledgeable faculty and staff that provides lifelong educational programs for all Arizonans.Check out their various educational programs and hands-on workshops on farming and food growing.

Arizona Publications & Magazines

Edible Phoenix is a quarterly publication promoting the abundance of local foods in Phoenix and its surrounding Valley communities. They celebrate the Valley’s farmers, food artisans, chefs, and food-related business owners by sharing their stories with consumers and building ties within the community.

Edible Baja Arizona, much like Edible Phoenix, seeks to promote people and organizations that are doing exemplary and passionate work in the areas of local food, sustainable agriculture and culinary heritages, and highlight food system topics specifically relevant to the Baja Arizona foodshed.

Maricopa County Food System Coalition

The Maricopa County Food System Coalition is a voluntary community organization advocating for the regeneration and advancement of the local food system in Maricopa County, Arizona. The Coalition is made up of a broad cross section of members interested in improving the food system in the County, and they hold monthly meeting that are open to the public. The meeting times and locations are posted on their website and Facebook page, so if you are able to, you should attend to get an idea of what changes are happening in the food community and what efforts are actively being pursued.