AJO CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE

Played a key role in advocating for and achieving the passage of the Arizona Agriculture Workforce Development Program into law on June 30, 2021. They also convened the Arizona Agricultural Workforce Development Coalition in 2018 and are building a network of farmer mentors, training and educational organizations, and beginning farmers.

Played a key role in advocating for and achieving the passage of the Arizona Agriculture Workforce Development Program into law on June 30, 2021. They also convened the Arizona Agricultural Workforce Development Coalition in 2018 and are building a network of farmer mentors, training and educational organizations, and beginning farmers.

Published an Ajo Food Security Assessment report to understand and address food security issues in the community.

Offers an 8 to 11 month paid in-field agricultural training program for beginning farmers, providing apprentices with opportunities to visit local farms, establish their own growing space, and attend workshops and forums. They also offer scholarships, summer internships, and agricultural apprenticeships to high school students, including a Summer Agriculture Internship training program.

Offers an 8 to 11 month paid in-field agricultural training program for beginning farmers, providing apprentices with opportunities to visit local farms, establish their own growing space, and attend workshops and forums. They also offer scholarships, summer internships, and agricultural apprenticeships to high school students, and host a Summer Agriculture Internship training program.

Provides unlimited seeds and seedlings, free gardening workshops, expert tips, personal consultations, and an annual garden tour for community gardeners in Ajo. They also offer subsidized sewage-free compost and free seeds and direct support to farmers and gardeners through the Adopt-A-Sonoran-Desert-Crop Program, collecting returned seeds from participants to restock the seed library.

Provides unlimited seeds and seedlings, free gardening workshops, expert tips, personal consultations, and an annual garden tour for community gardeners in Ajo. They also offer subsidized sewage-free compost, limited to two bags per person, using the same compost used in Ajo CSA's own growing operations.

Operates the Ajo Farmers Market & Café, which includes a farm-to-table restaurant, community kitchen incubator, market store, pop-up food sales, and the Ajo Food Pantry. They also operate the O'odham Farmers Market, providing a venue for local farmers, ranchers, wild food foragers, and artists to sell their goods, typically hosting at least 40 vendors per market.

Operates the Ajo Farmers Market & Café, which includes a farm-to-table restaurant, community kitchen incubator, market store, pop-up food sales, and the Ajo Food Pantry. They also operate the O'odham Farmers Market, providing a venue for local farmers, ranchers, wild food foragers, and artists to sell their goods, typically hosting at least 40 vendors per market.

Provides free seeds and direct support to farmers and gardeners through the Adopt-A-Sonoran-Desert-Crop Program, focusing on traditionally grown dry-land farming crops. Participants return seeds to restock the seed library and support future growers.

Operates the Ajo Food Pantry, which started as the COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief Program during the pandemic and opened as the first walk-in food pantry in 2022. The pantry provides fresh produce and eggs from local farms and connects clients with resources such as SNAP, TEFAP, and AHCCCS.

Offers gardening workshops, food demonstrations, instructional videos, and school-garden-based education to participants. They also provide free workshops on agriculture topics including business development and sustainable farming practices.

Organized the 2021 Southwest Native Foodways Gathering Four Seasons Series, a virtual event series, and creates and participates in spaces dedicated to Native American culture, including the Southwest Native Foodways Gathering.

Offers free workshops on agriculture topics including business development and sustainable farming practices, as well as food demonstrations and instructional videos.

Provides hands-on education for students in cultivating, growing, and harvesting crops in the Sonoran Desert through an interactive program called Agriculture Club. They also offer school-garden-based education and participate in Tohono O’odham Youth Programming Group.

Provides hands-on education for students in cultivating, growing, and harvesting crops in the Sonoran Desert through an interactive program called Agriculture Club.