Local First Arizona

The Fall Fest attracts over 20,000 people each year🎉

With this large of a crowd, we get to meet a ton of people from every walk of life! Regardless of who you are, we want to welcome you to this day of celebrating local business❤️

📆 Saturday, November 9
⏰ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
📍Margaret T. Hance Park

Local First Arizona is honored to receive a Silver Medal for innovative financing from the International Economic Development Council International Economic Development Council !

Our Green Loan Fund provides affordable financing for Arizona businesses to lower their utility bills by fixing plumbing leaks, installing efficient A/C units, insulating buildings, purchasing EV or hybrid vehicles, going solar and other "green" upgrades. Huge shoutout to our partners: Growth Partners Arizona CIC Tucson and Vitalyst Health Foundation AZ .

This isn't just a win for Local First Arizona . It's a win for every locally owned Arizona business that will save money while improving the health and wellbeing of our state🔋 🌱

That’s a wrap for the 2024 Good Food Forum + Expo🔥

We want to thank everyone who attended the events today!

The work, conversations and fun today will play such a crucial role as we all continue “Building Arizona’s Resilient Food Future”

We want to thank for hosting & to each and everyone of our sponsors for supporting us today!

What was your favorite part of today? Let us know⬇️

goodfoodforumexpo

Bring your furry friend to the Arizona Fall Fest🐾

Our festival is pet-friendly, so you can enjoy live music, find local businesses and shop till you drop with your favorite four-legged companion by your side!

📆 Saturday, November 9
⏰ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
📍Margaret T. Hance Park

Local First has been nominated for Green Living Magazine’s “Best of” awards in two categories:

“Best Sustainably Minded Nonprofit Organization"
"Best Eco-Friendly Entertainment Event" for the Devour Culinary Classic

** Please vote and share! You can vote once a day! https://greenlivingmag.com/best-of-arizona-2024 **

We also submitted every business who graduated from our Green Business Certification and Green Business Boot Camp and many made it on the list, so please vote for them as well!

Best of Arizona 2024 - Green Living Magazine Cast your vote below for the local businesses and leaders who are making a positive impact for our planet! You may cast one vote per day during the voting period, which ends August 21, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

Idling vehicles are a major source of air pollution and health problems🚨

Pima County businesses can proclaim they are "idle-free" by placing two free signs in their parking lots🚘🚫

The county will also provide educational materials to display for customers on why it is important to be idle-free!

Visit https://www.pima.gov/3259/Idle-Free-Businesses-Sign-Up to sign up!

The Green Team educated attendees at the Fuerza Locale Graduation on proper waste diversion, resulting in a 47% diversion rate🗑️

This means that 47% of all waste was either composted or recycled!

Thank you to our volunteers and partners❤️

Keep Phoenix Beautiful and Recycled City LLC

Last week Local First Arizona convened 300 rural and tribal leaders at the 17th annual Arizona Rural Policy Forum in Clarkdale.

As the state’s Rural Development Council, Local First Arizona connects government and community leaders, economic developers, business owners, nonprofits and other advocates dedicated to strengthening Arizona’s rural and tribal communities!

A huge shout-out to the Town of Clarkdale and the City of Cottonwood, Arizona for hosting last week’s AZ Rural Policy Forum!

Special thanks to Clarkdale Mayor Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer and Cottonwood Mayor Tim Elinksi who warmly opened their communities to us, and to their teams who worked with Local First Arizona for months, giving their time and resources to ensure we delivered a high-quality experience.

Thank you to everyone who made it happen!

The Arizona Partnership for Climate-Smart Food Crops fund

https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tucson-city-of-gastronomy-food-restaurants/article_87d1da80-16e4-11ef-82e4-47796ecf8aed.html
A three-year, $4.7 million study spearheaded by the University of Arizona with partners that include Tucson City of Gastronomy, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Local First Arizona.
The goal is to encourage growers to adopt climate-smart practices, from growing desert-adaptable crops and diverse cover crops to reducing the use of fertilizer and pesticides.

August 27: A celebration of Arizona’s local food system, themed "Building Arizona's Resilient Food Future," and it's a convergence of minds and expertise dedicated to strengthening Arizona's local food system.
https://www.goodfoodfinderaz.com/forum-expo

August 26: ‘Conscious Eating’ Dinner Under the Stars at Tohono Chul
https://tucsonfoodie.com/2024/08/14/conscious-eating-under-the-stars/

Arizona's Good Food Forum + Expo — Good Food Finder Striving to unite Arizona’s local food economy, the Good Food Forum + Expo welcomes all participants in our local food system to connect and share educational insights, broaden local food relationships and business connections, and strengthen communities across the state.

Bring your furry friend to the Arizona Fall Fest🐾

Our festival is pet-friendly, so you can enjoy live music, find local businesses and shop till you drop with your favorite four-legged companion by your side!

📆 Saturday, November 4
⏰ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
📍Margaret T. Hance Park

Meet blaxfriday , an organization dedicated to building bridges between Black-owned businesses and their communities. Founded by Ashley La Russa, owner of Roux Events, LLC, Blax Friday's team of Black business leaders and creatives are responsible for the largest directory of BIPOC businesses across Arizona🔥

Check out their directory of 1500+ businesses and go support Black Business month!

https://blaxfriday.com

BLAXFRIDAY – Black-Owned Businesses – Tucson, Phoenix Metro, Arizona

According to climatologists, the Colorado River, a lifeline for Arizona’s water supply, is drying up...

Lake Powell is a visible example, as the reservoir’s levels are receding! The drought and our increasing water usage can no longer be ignored🚨

In addition to asking our leaders to act and find ways to reserve our vital resources, we can leverage our buying power to support businesses that prioritize sustainability🌱

https://localfirstaz.com/green-business-directory #!directory/map

Thank you to our Rural Policy Forum sponsors, including The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation, Arizona Public Service, Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Community Foundation, Arizona Complete Health, The Burton Family Foundation, the City of Cottonwood, Freeport-McMoRan, Gila Community College, OneAZ Credit Union, SRP and Vitalyst Health Foundation.♥️

Your generous support made it possible to bring together leaders from across the state to discuss critical issues facing our rural communities.

We couldn't have done it without you!

Looking for a fun nighttime activity?

Explore Desert Botanical Garden on their flashlight tours! Many of their plants bloom at night and it’s an excellent way to enjoy the art pieces throughout the garden🌵⠀
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Since 1939, Desert Botanical Garden has led the world in the research and conservation of desert plants and their habitats. Their current work is leading to the discovery of new plants, the conservation of endangered species and identifying current threats 🌎⠀
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Get your tickets at the link below!

https://dbg.org/events/flashlight-nights-2024/2024-08-10/

Flashlight Nights 2024 - Desert Botanical Garden Grab a flashlight and experience the Garden after dark. Enjoy a cool drink and treats as you explore the trails, desert creatures and nighttime sights and sounds. Each night will feature a variety of activities and performances to enjoy.

Local First Arizona is committed to building strategic and meaningful relationships that enable increased access to resources and opportunities for rural communities and Tribal nations within the State of Arizona.🔆

A highlight of 2024's Arizona Rural Policy Forum was the Tribal Roundtable Session, which convened an engaged group of representatives from Arizona's tribes and tribal nonprofits in discussion around no-cost grant writing and project management services — as well as a new loan program for Indigenous Small Businesses — available through Local First Arizona's Economic Resource Center (AZERC).

So invigorating to discuss the projects already underway and the opportunities on the horizon for Arizona's Tribal communities! Want to learn more about AZERC? Check out our website!
https://localfirstaz.com/economic-resource-center🌵

Sooo many impactful and inspiring conversations happening at the Arizona Rural Policy Forum!

Tribal and rural leaders are 🔥fired up after hearing from Vitalyst Health Foundation AZ and Sitgreaves Community Development Corporation on bringing affordable housing to their communities. One innovation: 💡Partnering with school districts, which own land, need housing for teachers and are eager to become partners!

Don't miss Local First Arizona's upcoming workshop:
HOW TO AVOID THE TOP 3 LEGAL PITFALLS IN BUSINESS featuring renowned Arizona attorney Lindsay G. Leavitt.

Drawing on Lindsay's extensive experience advocating for Arizona's small business community, this workshop will cover the essentials of employment law, corporate law, and commercial leases, providing attendees with:

✅ Practical Strategies to Avoid Common Legal Issues
✅ Steps to Ensure Compliance
✅ Best Practices to Protect Your Business

RSVP Today to Save Your Spot!
📅 - Wednesday, August 21, 2024
⏰ - 12 - 1 p.m.
🖥️ - Virtual Via Zoom
https://localfirstaz.com/events/workshop-how-to-avoid-the-top-3-legal-pitfalls-in-business

Workshop: How to Avoid the Top 3 Legal Pitfalls in Business — Local First Arizona

A fantastic keynote today from Tony P**a of the Brookings Institution. He called on Arizona rural and tribal leaders to celebrate the unique history and beauty of their communities, and invest in the future growth of their towns by:
🧑‍🌾
- Leaning into the distinctive nature of their rural communities as a competitive edge over increasingly homogenous cities
- Embracing civic cooperation and collaboration
- Staying engaged with younger generations, giving them a sense of belonging and including them in local decision-making
🚜
The bottom line — rural and tribal communities have HUGE opportunities to thrive when they have "leadership that’s bold, collaboration that’s broad, and partnerships that move from extraction to sustainability!"
💪

Thank you, Governor Katie Hobbs, for joining Local First Arizona and more than 300 rural and tribal leaders at the in Clarkdale just now! The governor highlighted unprecedented investments being made in infrastructure, water, clean energy, housing affordability, schools and small businesses in our rural and tribal communities to make our state stronger.

Local First's commitment to supporting and expanding economic opportunities statewide runs deep, and we appreciate all leaders who believe in championing every corner of our state.

It's a packed house as the kicks off with inspiring stories of rural communities, nonprofits and tribal nations making a positive impact!

We're hearing about expanding high-speed internet, supporting farmers and ranchers, bringing fun to schools through mountain biking, creating jobs and more from the Arizona Commerce Authority, Yavapai County, Arizona Public Service - APS, Wheel Fun, Family Resource Center at the Sahuarita Food Bank and Southwest Food Business Center

Local First Arizona Is Proud to Host White House "Investing in Rural America" Roundtable & Resource Fair in Northern Arizona

THIS WEDNESDAY: Two events
• 10 a.m. White House Rural Investment Roundtable (Cottonwood Recreation Center, 150 S. 6th Street, Cottonwood)
• 3-6 p.m. Rural Investment Resource Fair (Clark Memorial Clubhouse, 19 N. 9th Street, Clarkdale)

Join the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and community leaders at 10 a.m. Wednesday to learn about new funding opportunities available for Arizona's rural communities, tribal nations, businesses and nonprofits.

Historic investments through the American Rescue Plan Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are building a stronger, more prosperous rural American economy to ensure families, small businesses and family farmers have the tools they need to build a good life in the communities they love.

Other speakers include:
• White House Office of Public Engagement Director of Strategic Engagement Will McIntee
• USDA Rural Development State Director for Arizona Charlene Fernandez
• San Carlos Apache Health and Human Services Executive Director David Reede

After the roundtable, there will be a resource fair from 3-6 p.m. for rural business owners and organizations to network and engage in one-on-one conversations with agencies across the federal government on funding opportunities, including the USDA, Small Business Administration, EPA, VA, HUD and others.

RSVP for 10 a.m. roundtable https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6t2K1VNQgEqEmbpNlEkQ3_8TeaI7yTBMqZrXvg9rIqpUOU9VOFBTUzREVjRCRFpBSlBTMEwxOTI5VyQlQCN0PWcu

RSVP for 3 p.m. resource fair: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=5zZb7e4BvE6GfuA8-g1Gl2bJSNY4gqFPmn8pO1w9VEhUMVFZSENVMVhRRU9ZQlcxSjZLNks2TExBQiQlQCN0PWcu

Day 1 of the is quickly approaching!

We are anticipating incredible energy and inspiring conversations about the future of our rural communities❤️

To see the agenda in full detail, visit the website below:

https://localfirstaz.com/rpf-agenda

Stay tuned for the Day 2 agenda and highlights!

August is National Black Business Month and here at Local First Arizona, we recognize the importance of leveling the playing field for all businesses!

Our We Rise business accelerator offers Black-owned businesses more than information and resources, it provides a community of like-minded individuals with whom participants can connect to grow their network❤️

Know a black business owner who's time is NOW? Tag them in the comments below or send them to learn more about the We Rise program using the link below:

https://localfirstaz.com/we-rise

We Rise — Local First Arizona

Next week, Alyssa Prewitt with Local First Arizona will be our guest speaker at Business Over Breakfast! ☕

Hear about fresh economic growth ideas and how local businesses can drive growth.

Register at the link below: ⬇
https://www.chamberorganizer.com/Calendar/moreinfo.php?eventid=492399&org_id=GDCC