Local First Arizona strives to strengthen businesses and foster entrepreneurship.
The Thompsons said they will be eagerly awaiting the post office call and expect to be able to hear “tiny, fuzzy chicks” chirping in the background on the phone. “The post office staff gets some enjoyment out of them too,” said Jill. “When the post office calls, we’ll go over there and pick them up. Then we’ll raise them in a safe, warm area. When they’re ready, we introduce them to the rest of the flock. It takes from four to six months before they’re ready to lay eggs.”
Worried about the threat of bird flu, the Thompsons are pleased the chicks will have a short, less stressful trip north, a vast improvement from their previous orders from a supplier faraway in Ohio. “So, it’s a win-win for all!” Marcus added.
The serendipitous switch to a more local chick supplier was prompted by lessons learned when the couple participated in the seven-week Verde Valley Green Business Boot Camp earlier this year, offered by Local First Arizona.
The Verde Valley Green Business Boot Camp (VVGBBC) is conducted three times a year, with workshops starting in January, May and October. Since 2003, the nonprofit Local First Arizona has worked to foster community support and a sense of local pride, purpose and entrepreneurship.
The mission of Local First Arizona is, “To strengthen local businesses and communities by establishing equitable systems that level the playing field for a thriving, inclusive and lasting Arizona economy,” said Lisa Page, manager of the Sustainable Small Business Program for Northern Arizona.
Page, who has lived in Camp Verde for about 10 years, said that the boot camp welcomes all types of businesses; however, “I typically reach out to agriculture type businesses initially, such as farmers, ranchers, vineyards, in order to help promote and support the agriculture industry in the Verde Valley.”
Page learned about the Thompsons and ECO Farm from Facebook. “Lisa came to visit the farm,” said Marcus. “We really did hit it off, with us being a sustainable and regenerative farm. The boot camp was a good fit.”
After making contact, Page and her team were given a thorough tour of the farm, which consists of 12 acres, a 4,500-square-foot greenhouse, a fenced market garden with 20 100-foot rows, 35 chickens, five goats, and an orchard with apples, peaches, plums, apricots, pears and a couple of mulberry trees on the property.
ECO Farm, a nonprofit, was one of eight entities participating in what was called “Cohort 7,” a numbered group of people who start an experience at the same time for the same purpose. A different sustainability topic is covered each week, facilitated by a local expert in that topic.
Page says, in general, participants have been especially interested in rainwater harvesting set ups, solar power, electric vehicle exploration, recycling, composting and networking for local sourcing.
“The boot camp showed us areas where we could still make improvements, conserve more water, be more energy efficient,” said Marcus. “It really opened my eyes; we’re doing a good job, but we could be doing better.”
“There are resources out there that could help us improve and save money,” said Jill. “There are smaller things, like changing lightbulbs to LED or making small improvements to plumbing and irrigation. In the long run, we’re saving on the bottom line; plus, it’s great for the environment and the local economy.”
Participants met Wednesday evenings for seven weeks at a variety of locations in the Verde Valley, including at Friends of the Verde River office and ECO Community Center in Cottonwood, the Sedona Airport and The BRIC (Business Resource and Innovation Center) in downtown Camp Verde.
The Thompsons were thrilled to make connections with other participants, such as a Kelsey Hammond, who specializes in composting. “We would like to partner with her on some level to create a really good compost that we can sell to the community,” said Jill.
The couple is applying some of the irrigation and other principles from the boot camp to make changes at ECO Farm. “We want to expand our lower garden,” she said. “It needs some TLC. We are looking to Lisa and her contacts to help us increase our irrigation, get that fenced in and have high-density fruit like watermelon, cantaloupe and corn.”
Marcus, who manages the farm’s burgeoning microgreen project, has added pink grow lights. “Microgreens are the superfood of superfoods,” he said. “The nutrition in a full-grown plant is condensed into that one microgreen. It is a baby plant picked early and is highly nutritious. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from the food banks, who say it is a blessing to get good, nutritious food to those in need.”
Eco Farm is an approved vendor for the Arizona Food Bank Network. Last year, it provided about $17,000 worth of food. This year, with improvements made following the boot camp, the Thompsons hope to be able to deliver more.
“My favorite part of the boot camp is seeing the ‘aha’ moment when something really resonates with a participant, and they realize, ‘This is doable, and I can make a difference!’” Page said. “I also hear, ‘I have so many ideas buzzing around in my head that I couldn’t sleep last night! This is exciting!’ That’s what really makes this workshop so fulfilling for me, being able to help support businesses by connecting them to resources that help them become more sustainable and resilient. I love following up with them and seeing the progress they are making.”
The next cohort of Verde Valley Green Business Boot Camp participants will join sessions beginning May 14, running through June 25, followed by the fall boot camp, Oct. 1 through Nov 12. VVBN
By Betsey Bruner, VVBN
Courtesy Photo: With lessons learned from the Verde Valley Green Business Boot Camp and improvements made, managers Marcus and Jill Thompson of ECO Farm, a nonprofit entity in Cottonwood, expect to expand their operation and be able to deliver more food to food banks.
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