Event Recap – Southwest Regional Food Business Center Virtual All-Partner Summit
On February 3rd, partners of the USDA’s Southwest Regional Food Business Center gathered together for the Center’s first Virtual Summit. With over 70 participants from across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, the Summit provided a forum for partners to join together, foster new connections, and build upon existing relationships in the Southwest Center community. Intermixed with networking opportunities, guest speakers presented on topics ranging from Institutional Procurement/Farm to Hospital, Bridge Lending and Farm Financing, Invigorating the Regional Network, and Best Practices in Center Communications.
Connecting with Center Partners & Learning Together
The Summit kicked off with an interactive wordcloud activity in which Partners described their work with one word. Words such as “Resilient, Impact, and Inspiring” exemplified the commitment to supporting local farmers and food systems, and helped set the stage for a Summit focused on empowering and supporting Southwest Center partners.
The first speaker of the Summit was regional food system leader Chef Santana Diaz, who gave an invigorating keynote speech focused on actionable means of making a positive difference in our food system. Chef Diaz emphasized his change-making work in procuring sustainable, local, and nutrient-dense foods in the UC Davis Hospital System. Chef Diaz described how he built upon a California Specialty Crop Block Grant from California Department of Food and Agriculture to understand how large institutions such as hospitals can play an integral role in strengthening the local food system. Chef Diaz also discussed the role collaborative partnerships with organizations, such as UC Davis Aquaculture and Roots of Change, have played in bringing great tasting, healthy, and local foods to the UC Davis Hospital System. Chef Diaz closed out his keynote speech by stating the biggest opportunity for increasing institutional procurement is to quantify the larger community benefits that stem from procurement.
Partners were then able to connect with each other in networking breakout rooms that were organized by topic: Urban Agriculture; Coordination; Indigenous Businesses; Farm to Institution; Center Evaluation; Value Added Products; Regenerative Meat; Business Development for Technical Assistance; Agriculture Technologies. Bringing partners together to increase coordination and communication is one of the key activities Valley Vision supports for the Center.
Brett Malone, Chief Business Strategies Officer for California Farmlink, discussed bridge lending and farm finance, a topic Center partners expressed strong interest in learning about through the Summit. Brett began the topic of farm financing by discussing why alternative sources of financing are necessary, especially for small and mid-sized farms and food businesses. Brett provided examples of limited business or credit history, cost of farmland and fishing vessels, and lack of traditional collateral as contributing gaps that Farmlink fulfills with their bridge lending services. Farmlink’s bridge lending loans include operating and term loans, land and housing loans, disaster relief loans, and conservation loans. These bridge lending options create financial feasibility for small and mid-sized farm and food businesses that often struggle with large upfront investments.
Ending the Summit Stronger, Together
Tracy Celio, Program Manager for the Center, used the interactive nature of this Summit to close out with an activity that instructed partners to create a phrase or photo that would be used if the Southwest Regional Business Center created a billboard in Times Square. Participants’ phrases such as “Home is Where the Heart is, Food is Where the Farm is,” “In winter’s storm and summer’s heat, a farmer works so we can eat,” and “Southwest Region Procures 100% of Produce and Meat From Local Sources.” The inspirational billboard activity was supplemented by a closing mentimeter activity that asked for one word to define the Center Community.
This was the first All Partner gathering in 2025. Throughout this next year, the Valley Vision team looks forward to finding new ways to connect and coordinate Southwest Regional Food Business Center partners.
Join the Southwest Regional Food Business Center for our next webinar in our quarterly webinar series on April 16th from 3-4PM. Register here: http://bit.ly/swRFBCwebinar
To learn more about the Center, visit: www.swfoodbiz.org and subscribe to the newsletter: https://bit.ly/SWRFBC-Newsletter.
Contact us at info@swfoodbiz.org if you’d like to get involved.
Visit the Center’s socials here.
USDA disclosures and guidance can be found at https://bit.ly/USDAdisclosures.
Event Recap – Institutional Procurement: A Path Toward Food System Resilience
On January 15th, the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center hosted a webinar on “Institutional Procurement: A Path Toward Food System Resilience.” The event included presentations from three Center partners, including Molly Riordan of Center for Good Food Purchasing, Maxie Blasini of Healthcare Without Harm, and Tim Galarneau of UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology. Speakers discussed their organization’s role in purchasing local, sustainable foods in hospitals, universities, and other large institutional settings. The webinar is part of the Center’s quarterly webinar series, where Center partners share best practices and innovative projects on essential topics related to business development and capacity assistance for local producers, farmers, and ranchers.
Each speaker provided key takeaways, such as recognizing organizations’ role in implementing procurement criteria and scoring, shown through the Center for Good Food Purchasing Scoring System, to incentivize institutions to increase their purchasing of sustainable foods. The power of addressing challenges to institutional procurement through an equitable approach of multi-stakeholder collaboration with community partners, was exemplified by Health Care Without Harm’s discussion of their Anchors in Resilient Communities Initiative. The importance of detailed data tracking systems to provide institutions data as a value proposition to increase sustainable procurement, was discussed by the Center for Agroecology through their work in obtaining the UC Sustainable Food Goals.
Attendees, representing a wide variety of organizations, were actively engaged throughout the webinar, as many sought input on how to increase benefits for farmers, ranchers, and food businesses they work with, while also improving the food quality and quantity provided by larger institutions. The next webinar will take place on April 16th and will focus on agriculture technologies for small and mid-sized farms and food businesses. Register: https://bit.ly/SWRFBCwebinar
Register for the Southwest Center’s next Webinar
Join the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center on April 16th from 3-4PM PST for our fourth webinar focused on agriculture agriculture and technology.
About Valley Vision and the Southwest Regional Food Business Center
Valley Vision leads coordination, communication, and network development efforts for the Southwest Regional Food Business Center. The quarterly webinar series is part of Valley Vision’s efforts to share best practices and to foster a collaborative network among Center partners and other participants.
The Southwest Regional Food Business Center, representing Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, is one of twelve USDA Regional Food Business Centers nationwide developed in 2023 to provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and initiatives, as well as navigate federal, state and local funding and resources. With an extensive network of partners from academic, government, and community-based organizations, the Southwest RFBC is dedicated to prioritizing historically underrepresented communities and small to mid-tier businesses.
For more information about the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center and its initiatives, visit www.swfoodbiz.org. To stay updated on future webinars and events, be sure to subscribe to the Center’s newsletter: http://bit.ly/SWRFBC-Newsletter.
USDA disclosures and guidance can be found at https://bit.ly/USDAdisclosures.
Visit the Center’s socials here.
Event Recap – Farm-to-School Partnerships: Expanding Market Opportunities for Farmers and Food Producers
On October 16th, the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center held its second webinar as part of its quarterly series. The webinar, “Farm-to-School Partnerships: Expanding Market Opportunities for Farmers and Food Producers,” featured speakers from Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, California Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), and USDA Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS). Speakers provided insights into farm to school programs and initiatives taking place across regional, state, and national levels.
Highlighted programs and initiatives include:
- Movement Building Workshops led by Utah Farm to Fork, to help interested farmers, ranchers, and producers connect to their region network and gain resources and training related to participating in farm to school;
- Direct service assistance for procurement and conducting statewide events such as the California Crunch Day led by CAFF, who has been supporting and leading Farm to school programs for 20 years; and
- The USDA FNS Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program, which aims to assists child nutrition program operators incorporate local foods through grant funding, technical assistance, training, and more.
Register for the Southwest Center’s Upcoming Webinar
Join the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center on January 15th from 3-4PM PST for our third webinar focused on institutional procurement.
About Valley Vision and the Southwest Regional Food Business Center
Valley Vision leads coordination, communication, and network development efforts for the Southwest Regional Food Business Center. The quarterly webinar series is part of Valley Vision’s efforts to share best practices and to foster a collaborative network among Center partners and other participants.
The Southwest Regional Food Business Center, representing Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, is one of twelve USDA Regional Food Business Centers nationwide developed in 2023 to provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and initiatives, as well as navigate federal, state and local funding and resources. With an extensive network of partners from academic, government, and community-based organizations, the Southwest RFBC is dedicated to prioritizing historically underrepresented communities and small to mid-tier businesses.
For more information about the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center and its initiatives, visit www.swfoodbiz.org. To stay updated on future webinars and events, be sure to subscribe to the Center’s newsletter: http://bit.ly/SWRFBC-Newsletter.
USDA disclosures and guidance can be found at https://bit.ly/USDAdisclosures.
Visit the Center’s socials here.
Event recap – Leading With Equity: Tribal Food Sovereignty & Inclusive Engagement
On July 17th, the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center hosted an informative webinar titled “Leading With Equity: Tribal Food Sovereignty & Inclusive Engagement.” This event featured Center partners, including the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and Local First Arizona. Speakers Kimber Lanning and Rafael F. Tapia, Jr., of Local First Arizona, and Thea Rittenhouse of CDFA, discussed equity-centered initiatives and strategies to bolster food sovereignty for Tribal Nations and other underinvested communities. The webinar is part of the Center’s quarterly webinar series, where Center partners share best practices and innovative projects on essential topics related to business development and capacity assistance for local producers, farmers, and ranchers.
Over 60 participants from across the nation attended the webinar, including representatives from other USDA Regional Food Business Centers. Attendees were actively engaged throughout the webinar and speakers were able to address dozens of questions throughout the session.
One of the key takeaways from the webinar was the emphasis on food security, traditional food practices, sovereignty, and self-determination. Speakers discussed best practices for incorporating Indigenous knowledge and highlighted the unintended consequences of policies and funding that do not consider Tribal interests or approaches. They suggested pathways to build communication, develop partnerships, and establish trust. Additionally, the speakers addressed the critical infrastructure needed for Tribal communities, such as new wells, aggregating and distributing facilities, food-to-market distribution, and technical assistance, including business and market development skills.
The next webinar will take place on October 16th and will focus on farm-to-school partnerships.
About Valley Vision and the Southwest Regional Food Business Center
Valley Vision leads coordination, communication, and network development efforts for the Southwest Regional Food Business Center. The quarterly webinar series is part of Valley Vision’s efforts to share best practices and to foster a collaborative network among Center partners and other participants.
The Southwest Regional Food Business Center, representing Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, is one of twelve USDA Regional Food Business Centers nationwide developed in 2023 to provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and initiatives, as well as navigate federal, state and local funding and resources. With an extensive network of partners from academic, government, and community-based organizations, the Southwest RFBC is dedicated to prioritizing historically underrepresented communities and small to mid-tier businesses.
For more information about the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center and its initiatives, visit www.swfoodbiz.org. To stay updated on future webinars and events, be sure to subscribe to the Center’s newsletter: http://bit.ly/SWRFBC-Newsletter.
USDA disclosures and guidance can be found at https://bit.ly/USDAdisclosures.
Visit the Center’s socials here.
Transforming Food Systems Across the Southwest Region
At the beginning of May, leadership of the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center convened in Reno, Nevada, providing the opportunity to further advance the Center’s mission, objectives, and programmatic activities, as well as share insights and best practices across emerging opportunities for food system transformation.
During the two-day convening, hosted by the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), leadership representing the Southwest Region (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah) discussed the unique assets, needs, and activities within each state, and solidified the Center’s workplan. Day one featured collaborative working sessions oriented towards internal Center values, capacity, and timeline, as well as a tour hosted by the UNR Desert Farming Initiative (DFI), showcasing climate-smart crops and farming practices, local food-to-market successes, and active research initiatives.
USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Senior Advisor, Kate Fitzgerald, joined Day 2 for an interactive brainstorming session regarding opportunities for collaboration between the USDA and the 12 Regional Food Business Centers nationally. Leadership from each state also provided teach-ins across emerging opportunities, such as equity in technical assistance, market access structures such as institutional procurement and food hubs, and microloan funding development.
This gathering provided Center Leadership with solutions, insight, and connections to drive the Center forward in its mission to transform the region’s food system through investment in small and mid-sized food and farm businesses by providing coordination, technical assistance, and capacity-building for the Southwest Region.
About the Center:
The Southwest Regional Food Business Center is a five-year $35 million program funded by the USDA Regional Food Business Centers Program, connecting Food and Agriculture Initiatives across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. As part of the network of USDA Regional Food Business Centers, the Southwest Center is a hub for the region’s small and mid-tier food and farm businesses and local and regional food sector development initiatives.
In collaboration with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), Valley Vision supports the Center as part of the Center Management Team, leading communications, partnership development and programmatic operations.
Subscribe to the Center’s Quarterly Newsletter here.
Visit the Center’s socials here.