2023 GOOD FOOD FORUM + EXPO AGENDA

The Sacred Connection Between Seeds, Soil, and Local Communities

By exploring the sacred connections between native seeds, soil, and local communities, we can better understand how to cultivate adaptive food systems that are environmentally resilient, culturally relevant, and socially equitable. Lilian Hill, a farmer and land steward, as well as Founder of the Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute and the previous Executive Director of Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, will open the Good Food Forum + Expo to share why safeguarding heirloom seeds and plants is crucial to the well being of our communities and future generations.

Keynote Speaker:
Lilian Hill | Indigenous Farmer & Land Steward

As Arizona grapples with water issues and climate challenges, hear how local ranchers and a farmer teamed up to grow drought-tolerant heritage grain while raising livestock through a regenerative grazing project.

Speakers:

• Yadi Wang | Farm Manager, Oatman Flats Ranch & Co-Founder, DRY Cooperative 

• Scott & Christie Heartquist | Ranchers & Owners, Heartquist Hollow Family Farm

• Moderator: Nick Shivka | Senior Manager of Sustainability Initiatives, Local First Arizona

Looking for avenues to distribute locally produced foods into our communities? Explore how state programs such as Purchase Local AZ, local food aggregators, and farmers markets/restaurants are providing diverse market channels and are working with local producers to increase availability of healthy, locally grown food.

Speakers:

• Parker Filer | Local Food Purchasing Program Manager, Pinnacle Prevention

• Erik Stanford | Founder, Pivot Produce

• Rebecca Serratos | Vendor Development Coordinator, Prescott Farmers Market

• Moderator: Audrey Mitten-Thomsen | General Manager, Phoenix Food Co-Op

Why the 2023 U.S. Farm Bill Matters

Gabriel Cruz, a farmer located in Cochise County, will speak about his experiences working with Arizona policymakers on the U.S. Farm Bill. Kathleen Merrigan, former United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and current Executive Director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, will join in the discussion of why the next U.S. Farm Bill is critical for incentivizing agricultural practices that promote soil, people, and planetary health, and building an equitable, resilient food system for future generations.

• Kathleen Merrigan | Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems 

• Gabriel Cruz | Farmer & Owner, Cruz Farm

• Moderator: Jessie Gruner | Director of Community Innovations, Pinnacle Prevention

Changing How & What We Grow: Desert-Adapted and Climate-Smart Agriculture

Meet a Hopi dryland farmer who teaches how Indigenous Ecological Knowledge has been centered on raising crops to fit the environment rather than manipulating the environment to fit the crops. Tucson-based Mission Garden & Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will join the conversation to discuss what are arid-adapted crops and crop-wild relatives that grow in the desert. Also, learn about recent USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture grants that have been awarded to help Arizona producers transition to desert-adapted and climate-smart practices.

Speakers:

• Jesus M. Garcia | Research Associate, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum & Education Specialist, Mission Garden

• Dr. Gary Nabhan | Agroecologist, Author, Activist

• Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson | Hopi Farmer, Assistant Specialist - Indigenous Resiliency, University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Indigenous Resilience Center

• Moderator: Somlynn Rorie | Senior Manager of Food and Farm Initiatives, Local First Arizona

Developing Local & Regional Processors for Meat and Grain

Processors serve as the vital (and often hidden) middleman between producers and customers. As the food system becomes more consolidated, it has become difficult for local producers to access processors to help get their products to consumers. Meet several people working to develop local and regional processors for livestock and heritage grains. Little Colorado Meats is Arizona's first USDA-FSIS inspected mobile Meat Harvest Unit that also connects food insecure communities with healthy, local meats; and Hayden Flour Mills has been restoring old flour mills to provide Arizonans with nutrient-dense stone milled heritage and ancient grains.

Speakers:

• Emma Zimmerman | Co-Owner, Hayden Flour Mills

• Karalea Wiltbank | Project Director, Little Colorado Meats & President, Foundation for Little Colorado Revitalization

• Moderator: Colleen Hanley | Assistant in Extension, Urban Agriculture Production, Small-Scale, and Beginning Farmer, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, The University of Arizona

Rethinking our Land Models and Policies

As Arizona experiences rapid urbanization, development, and agricultural land loss, how do we need to rethink our land policies? This panel will discuss how cities can integrate urban agriculture into rapidly expanding urban centers, the importance of smarter land use planning through "Better Built Cities" to safeguard local farms and ranches, and how to optimize land policy for rapid growth while still incorporating agriculture. Speakers will also address opportunities like solar energy expansion that partners with agriculture through "Smart Solar" and agrivoltaics.

Speakers:

• Kara Heckert | Resilient Agriculture West Advisor, American Farmland Trust

• Jeffrey Eisenberg | Rockspring Resource Solutions, Consulting for Agriculture and the Environment

• Rosanne Albright | Environmental Programs Coordinator, Brownfields, and Food Systems Programs, City of Phoenix

• Moderator: Sharma Torrens | Conservation Specialist, Central Arizona Land Trust

Disappearing Farmland and Innovative Models for Growing Food

Innovative farming models are being used to grow food as farmland is being lost to rapid development, speculation, and consolidation. Learn about how these urban farmers are using cooperative models, Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) practices, and community farming on abandoned lots to provide communities with nourishing and locally grown produce.

Speakers:

• Sara Dolan | Owner & Farm Manager, Blue Sky Organic Farms

• Jhonny Flores | Farmer & Co-Owner, Coldwater Coffeehouse and Bakery Cooperative

• Rodney Machokoto | Farmer & Owner, Machokoto Family Farms

• Moderator: Ashley Grabb | Senior Food Systems Health Educator, Maricopa County Department of Public Health

Where to Find the Money: Accessing Capital for Local Farmers/Ranchers

Access to capital and finding financial resources are significant barriers and challenges that farmers face. This panel will introduce an organization dedicated to supporting BIPOC farmers through innovative funding models. It will also highlight NRCS and FSA tools and resources to help producers navigate and find the right USDA funding source that works best for their business and farming/ranching model.

Speakers:

• Ginger Sykes Torres | USDA State Executive Director, Farm Service Agency Arizona

• Erika Boyland | Assistant State Conservationist - Programs, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

• Paul Cattelino | State Outreach Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

• Mark Watson | CEO & Founder, Potlikker Capital

• Juan Escareño | Field Director, Potlikker Capital

• Moderator: Amanda Zakharov, Director of Investment, Dirt Capital Partners

How Water Policies Affect Local Agriculture

Facing the prospect of reduced water supplies - such as Colorado River allotments and groundwater resources - due to climate challenges and rapid urbanization, farmers and ranchers will need assistance in how to cost-effectively adapt to these impending conditions while still producing a year-round food supply. Taking a holistic, integrated approach to food-energy-water policies, this panel discussion will dive into water policies and practices that can help local farmers and ranchers adapt to a drier, hotter, and more crowded Arizona.

Speakers:

• Paul Brierley | Director, Arizona Department of Agriculture

• Amelia Flores | Chairwoman, CRIT Tribal Council

• Arnott Duncan | Board Chair and Agronomist, Duncan Family Farms

• Moderator: Adenike (Nike) Opejin | Project Manager, Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy

Uniting Arizona's Local Food Economy

Food is the center of our daily lives, and local agriculture and food production are important drivers of Arizona’s economy. However, our food system is complex and how Arizona currently grows and raises food will need to adapt to less water, less land, and more climate challenges. Kimber Lanning, CEO/Founder of Local First Arizona, will close out the Good Food Forum by discussing how we can unite Arizona's local food economy by building community-based food systems that foster economic development and increase access to affordable, fresh, and local food for all Arizonans.

Keynote Speaker:
Kimber Lanning | CEO & Founder, Local First Arizona

Join us at the Good Food Expo and enjoy samples from over 80 local vendors from all areas of the food system, including farmers, wholesalers, food artisans, brewers, wineries, and distillers from across Arizona. Build relationships and make connections with those who make food in our state and learn about local trends in our food industry.