Established in 2013, North Leupp Family Farms (NLFF) is a 501c (3) non-profit organization on the Navajo Reservation with a mission to develop and present comprehensive solutions to address deficiencies in community food system, encourage healthy lifestyles, and improve food security through partnerships with local food producers, schools, and business entities. As a small farmers’ cooperative, NLFF is cultivated by over thirty (30) farmer families. NLFF provides continued traditional food education, field trips, and demonstrations to local communities. Currently, the Farm provides fresh produce and farm products to local schools, hospitals, and elder centers.
This grant will be used for professional planners and engineers for a site plan, technical assistance and training, expanding market opportunities, investing in renewable energy and health infrastructure, and hosting educational and outreach opportunities.
The Overarching Goal of this proposed program is to increase the tribal communities’ access to healthy and locally produced foods and promote rural agribusiness and food economic development by developing a rural Food Hub on NLFF and by supporting NLFF farmer families as well as farmers/agribusinesses owners in the surrounding area.
To achieve the overarching goal, this program intends to address the following objectives/purposes in the Navajo Nation and other tribal communities in Arizona:
Objective 1: Develop a community food hub at NLFF. This includes site development/planning, environmental assessment, and community strategic planning.
Objective 2: Promote the development of small and emerging Native American/local food agribusinesses. The project team will provide direct technical assistance and training and assess community needs.
Objective 3: Encourage greater collaboration between local food producers to create new market opportunities. This includes establishing a mobile market based on renewable energy.
Objective 4: Increase communities’ resilience to pandemics like COVID-19 and the impacts of climate change. This includes workshops on climate resilient technology and developing healthy clean infrastructure (i.e. handwashing stations).
Objective 5: Preserve Navajo identity, tradition, and culture through the promotion of farming and traditional food consumption. Hosting food and cooking demonstrations in culturally sensitive ways.
