Community Support
At Local First Arizona, we strive to cultivate and build a resilient local food system. We have partnerships across the state to offer choice food pantries, cooking and gardening classes, community kitchens, diverting food waste programs, and community garden collaborations.
“Local First Arizona is thrilled to work on a project at the scale of the Community Kitchen at El Rancho because it embodies a sustainable and more livable future that is inclusive, creative, and alive with hope.”
Local Food Programs at El Rancho del Sol in Mesa
Since 2018, Local First Arizona’s Mesa Community Kitchen supports residents while also encouraging and assisting small, local food businesses to grow.
The Mesa Community Kitchen’s home, El Rancho del Sol, is an affordable housing development located along the Valley Metro Light Rail in Mesa.
From on-site garden plots to creative after-school programming, El Rancho is steeped in creative ideas to help offer value to its residents. These programs teach young chefs how to grow and prepare easy, healthy, and delicious meals using simple, fresh ingredients through partnership with the Sprout’s Foundation.
Cooking Classes
Cooking classes are offered through the Mesa Community Kitchen for kids and families through the school year. Our after-school cooking program teaches children of El Rancho del Sol how to prepare easy, healthy meals using simple, fresh ingredients thanks to our Sprouts Foundation sponsorship.
El Rancho del Sol Community Garden
El Rancho del Sol residents can grow fresh, local vegetables and herbs in their own community garden all year long. Classes and garden clean-ups are seasonal and a great way to learn about gardening basics and what grows in the desert.
Choice Food Pantry
The choice food pantry is offered twice a month at our Community Kitchen in El Rancho del Sol. Thanks to United Food Bank and Waste Not Arizona, we are able to receive diverse food options for residents, in partnership with Mercy House. Offering a choice pantry empowers members of the community to play active roles in strengthening their health.
OTHER COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED PROGRAMS
Community Partnerships
Local First Arizona staff hold leadership positions in food policy groups and networks across the state in order to influence policy, strengthen our local food system, and increase awareness of Arizona’s food production
Diverting Food Waste
Through our partnership with Recycled City, we are able to divert our Mesa Community Kitchen’s food waste from landfills into composting material for local gardens & farms.. Our partnership with TigerMountain Foundation helps us achieve this same mission at our South Phoenix Community Kitchen, where they are able to compost food waste in the community garden that’s on-site at the Brooks Academy.