As our nation’s birthday draws near I find myself thinking about what food production has looked like in the past and the role it has played in our culture. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about victory gardens.

Having instructed in Pima Community College's Culinary Arts program for over 10 years, I’m familiar with all the standard practices—what students need to know to survive in the restaurant industry, to open a bakery, or just to ensure they (not to mention their friends and their family!) will eat good food for the rest of their lives. But over that time...

We’re now accepting applications for our Leadership Council, a roughly 16-member body that meets monthly to work on projects related to food and food policy in Pima County. Leadership Council members commit to a two-year term with a roughly 10-hour commitment per month. We’re looking for a range of skills and interests, from grant writing to project management and event coordination. Applications are due May 4!

You've heard from us before on the City of Tucson's proposed urban ag zoning code changes. Last time around, we were mostly supportive, but had a few lingering concerns. A specific one was around the number of small animals allowed. We worked hard with the City over the summer to address those concerns.

The City of Tucson is holding public meetings over May and June as part of an effort to revise the City’s zoning regulations on urban agriculture, including farmers’ markets, community gardens, urban farms, and the keeping of small animals.