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2021 ARIZONA LEGISLATIVE SESSION
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We are SO grateful for all the support we have seen from our community so far in support of two key food systems bills moving through the Arizona legislative process: the Agriculture Workforce Development bill and the Double Up bill.
It’s not too late to make your voice heard at the Capitol. Help make sure that legislators know that their constituents (YOU!) support a healthy, thriving food system for all Arizonans. It can all be done virtually!
Here are two ways to join our advocacy team:
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- Subscribe to email action alerts below. We will send you email alerts at strategic moments, and make it easy to directly email the legislators who are about to consider and vote on our bills.
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- Register for a Request to Speak account, which allows you to use the Capitol’s system for supporting and opposing bills. Once your account is activated by a member of our team who will safely and quickly travel to the Capitol building, you will be able to participate in the legislative process safely and remotely. We will help you through the steps.
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Agriculture Workforce Development Bill
(SB 1150 & HB 2142)
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HB2142 / SB1150 appropriates $500k per year for the next two years to establish a state-funded apprenticeship program for beginning farmers and ranchers. A big THANK YOU to Nina Sajovec (Ajo Center for Sustainable Ag.), Cherilyn Yazzie (Coffee Pot Farms), Sterling Johnson (Ajo Center for Sustainable Ag.) and Cameron Jones (Southern AZ Young Farmers and Ranchers Coalition) for powerful, personal testimonies describing why this program is so necessary during committee hearings.
HB2142 passed Land/Ag/Rural Affairs, Appropriations, and Rules committees as well as a House Floor Vote (42-16-1-0-1). Yay! 🎉
Next Steps:
SB1150 passed Natural Resources/Energy/Water and Appropriations committees unanimously and awaits Rules and Senate Floor Vote. A recent amendment means SB1150 will need to crossover to the House as it continues to proceed.
It is not too late to get involved! Click below and get engaged with this effort.
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Double Up Bill Fruit and Vegetable Bill
(SB 1176 & HB 2668)
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We are also pushing legislators to vote for $1 million in annual funding to support the expansion of Double Up Food Bucks across our state. The Double Up AZ program helps individuals using SNAP/EBT benefits take home more Arizona-grown produce.
BRAVO to our beloved Double Up partners Elyse Guidas (Activate Food Arizona, Farm Express), Sara Matlin (Community Food Connections, Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market), Cindy Gentry (Sun Produce Cooperative, Clark Park and Concordia FarmRaisers), Doran Hadan (Heirloom Farmers Markets in Tucson, Vail, Oro Valley, & Green Valley) for their tremendous testimonies delivered directly to lawmakers! We are also very grateful to Kathleen Yetman (Prescott Farmers Market) and C.J. Hager (Vitalyst Health Foundation) for preparing committee testimony.
Next Steps:
SB1176 passed Appropriations committee and awaits Rules and a Senate Floor Vote.
HB2668 passed Health/Human Services and Appropriations committees and awaits Rules and House Floor Vote.
You can subscribe to email action alerts to follow the progress of the bill below.
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Active Living in Arizona’s Rural Communities |
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In Active Living in Arizona’s Rural Communities, we present A Call to Action for philanthropic, nonprofit, and government entities to work with rural Arizonans to strengthen the design of their communities and built environments in order to support people’s ability to be safe and active. New research from across the state included in the report sheds light on the assets and opportunities in Arizona’s rural communities with regard to active living.
While Arizona’s rural communities boast tremendous natural landscapes, beautiful weather, and rising champions advocating for change... a lack of funding, safe infrastructure, and organizational support continue to present challenges for creating communities where everyone can thrive.
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“What makes rural communities amazing is the sense of community which is hard to measure".
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As we move into 2021, the timeliness and, also the irony, of the release of the guidelines is not lost on us. Timely, in that they were released just in time as 2020 turned to a close. And ironic, that the urge to focus on an ideal diet in midst of an awful pandemic - that is intimately intertwined with the longstanding injustices that are part of our food and health systems – with increased food insecurity, disruptions to our food system, political strife, and food worker injustices.
The light of this context makes the DGAs feel like a being offered a five-dollar coupon for an on-flight beverage after your luggage was lost and your flight was canceled. But, yet, despite these realities, our understanding of how we all SHOULD eat marches on.
We won’t see trends improve in meeting the dietary guidelines until the emphasis of meeting these guidelines is targeted back at not focusing on changing the individual, but rather changing the system.
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The 2021 Arizona Farmers Market Nutrition
Program (FMNP) season has started
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Starting in early February and through the end of September, WIC clients and Seniors on CSFP (also known as the senior food box program) can visit a participating farmers market to pick up a coupon booklet.
We're excited to announce that the benefit amount for seniors has increased from $30 to $50 per eligible senior per year! WIC families will continue to be eligible for $30 per household per year. The Pinnacle Prevention team, along with farmers markets across the state, have been busy preparing for the re-opening of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
A full list of participating FMNP sites, as well as more information about the program, can be
found at:
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AZFSN/AFBN Friday Policy Calls |
Sign up for newsletter notifications from the Arizona Food System Network at www.azfsn.org. Newsletters include meeting links to tune into the joint Arizona Food Systems Network and the Arizona Food Bank Network Advocacy calls.
The next call is tomorrow, this Friday Feb. 12th from 12-1 p.m. MST/AZ time,
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The Arizona Food Systems Network is a community of local, state and regional food systems advocates, practitioners and leaders who have a vested interest in collaborating to improve the food system for all Arizonans.
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Seeds to Grow supports the heart of our food system with seed funding for farm equipment and essentials for small farmers.
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Click here to get information about your community FIRST
Invite your friends to subscribe!
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See what's happening on our social sites: |
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