Local First Arizona – News Blog

• Investing in the People Who Build Arizona: Why Credit Unions Matter More Than You Think August 20, 2026
  Credit unions are an important part of a strong local economy because they are built differently. As member-owned nonprofit financial institutions, they exist to serve their members rather than outside shareholders. Earnings can be returned to members through lower loan rates, fewer fees and higher savings yields, while decisions about lending and investment remain closely […]
  Lori Cothrun
• La Chickytita Grab to Go: De la Industria Restaurantera al Emprendimiento August 11, 2026
  Durante más de 30 años, Yessica Olivares ayudó a construir algunas de las marcas de restaurantes más reconocidas de Estados Unidos. Pero mientras contribuía al crecimiento de empresas como McDonald’s, Chipotle y Wingstop, nunca dejó de imaginar lo que sería crear un negocio propio. Esa visión ahora se llama La Chickytita Grab to Go, un […]
  Paul Zapata
• Local First Celebrates the Power of Arizona’s Local Businesses with 20th Anniversary of Fall Festival this November August 11, 2026
  PHOENIX (Aug. 11, 2026) — Local First Arizona’s Certified Local Fall Festival returns to Margaret T. Hance Park on Saturday, November 7, 2026, celebrating the festival's 20th anniversary. For two decades, this signature event has brought together thousands of attendees for a day of local shopping, food, entertainment and community celebration in the heart of […]
  Lori Cothrun
• What Arizona Farm to School Can Learn from America's Farm-to-Fork Capital August 8, 2026
  Long before we stepped onto a farm, we noticed something: everyone we met in Sacramento kept talking about one another.Farmers spoke about school nutrition directors. School nutrition leaders praised nonprofit partners. University researchers described collaborations with chefs. Food hubs celebrated the growers they worked alongside. Conversation after conversation returned to the same idea: no single […]
  Alyssa Crijns
• Meet Two Organizations Making Arizona School Lunches More Local August 7, 2026
  Arizona’s school cafeterias are often described in terms of what they lack — time, money and help — but across the state, there are people quietly rebuilding that idea from the ground up. In this blog, we highlight two of them: Blue Watermelon Project and the Arizona Farm to School Network, organizations that are showing […]
  Lori Cothrun