Home
Flagstaff Foodlink offers strong educational, organizational and fundraising tools to the exciting, emergent local food movement in the greater Flagstaff community. Our country is in the midst of a health and healthcare crisis, global climate change, and an economic and energy crisis. Producing local, healthy, affordable food for ourselves and our children is a powerful solution for all of these dilemmas. Flagstaff Foodlink believes there are abundant opportunities to connect farmers, ranchers, restaurateurs, food distributors and sellers, the general public, community organizations, and the governments of the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County into a food network to encourage local economic self-sufficiency, community and individual health, greater food security, and energy-conserving agricultural practices. Flagstaff Foodlink offers an organizational body through which to catalyze profound change in the way we produce, consume, and value local foods here in Flagstaff.
Some of the successes we have achieved thus far include the work of our Youth Gardens Committee (FYG), Community Agriculture Project (CAP), Food Policy Council (GFFPC), and Urban Farm Project. Since its inception in 2004, the FYG has provided financial and conceptual support to Flagstaff teachers at 13 schools who are dedicated to creating and maintaining on-site youth gardens. In addition to offering mini-grants, we have hired a part-time professional gardener and educator, John Taylor, to offer ongoing support to the students and teachers. Mr. Taylor is not only teaching gardening, but working toward students’ participation in ecological restoration, beautification, and building economic opportunity for underprivileged youth. To complement our efforts, we have published a K-12 Gardening Curriculum that is aligned with AZ State Standards.
Connected to the FYG are our accomplishments establishing community gardening in Flagstaff. The City of Flagstaff’s Community Agriculture Project (CAP) began in 2009 with the Bonito Street Community Garden. The garden has already provided more than 40 community gardeners an opportunity to grow their own food, including corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, herbs, potatoes, beets, and more. In 2010, CAP created a second community garden that is located in North Sunnyside, where 27% of households have income below poverty level. At the nearby Killip Elementary School, 86% of students qualify for discounted or free breakfast and lunch. In its second season, we envision the Izabel Garden continuing to: build community, grow produce to supplement the diets of local families with healthy, local food, expand into the community through the development of “Pocket Gardens,” and create economic opportunity through the development of a Backyard Market Collaborative (BMC), which will sell produce at our local Farmers’ Markets. Northern Arizona University’s Office for the Vice President for Research is providing limited funding for the research project required to found the BMC; however, funding for the actual development of the gardens has not yet been secured.
Foodlink also has catalyzed the Greater Flagstaff Food Policy Council. The GFFPC is currently focused on ensuring the City of Flagstaff fosters an environment conducive to urban agriculture in its 2011 re-write of the Zoning Code and its 2012 Regional Plan. Furthermore, we have conducted a feasibility study for a proposed Urban Farm project. The Urban Farm Project seeks to demonstrate an economically viable urban growing model for the burgeoning Flagstaff local foods movement. The Feasibility study was completed in 2010, and though the original proposed property named was not a viable option, FFL has the study in hand for any future opportunities.
For more info, see each of Foodlink's Project pages or contact us at the below E-mail.