Success Stories

Supporting Regional Food Systems: Arizona Business Builder Awards Across three very different operations—regenerative desert grain fields, a farm rooted in tribal traditions, and a regional meat processor—the impact of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center’s Business Builder Awards comes into…

Food Business Center Awardees Share Insights, Challenges at Peer Focus Group RENO, NV, April 2, 2026 – On March 25, four awardees of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center’s Business Builder grants gathered for a peer focus group to reflect on their business journeys and share lessons learned from…

Roots 2 Results Brings Farmers and Food Leaders Together in Las Vegas More than 128 people attended the Roots 2 Results: Cultivating Farm and Food Systems Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, held Feb. 25–27. The event, produced by the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, brought together producers, food…

Terra Madre Americas 2025 First-ever Terra Madre Americas brought global food traditions to California’s capital and it also offered an invaluable learning laboratory for producers and food entrepreneurs.A new report highlights A Taste of California Pavilion: Terra Madre Americas 2025 vendor feedback…

Prosperity Market Enriches Small-scale Farmers and Local Food Businesses in LA Region The IssueIn response to systemic food insecurity and economic instability in Black America, exacerbated by the pandemic, Carmen Dianne and Kara Stilllaunched Prosperity Market in 2020 to be a solution that strengthens…

Solving the Puzzle of Food Insecurity by Re-discovering the American Farmer: Innovator / Scientist / First ResponderCalifornia State University, Fresno Introduces The Southside Market Project The Issue Despite being one of the most agriculturally rich and productive regions in the…

January 2025. A series of devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles County, driving out homeowners, farmers, students, and businesses from their homes and places of work. The Eaton Fire burned for 24 days, but even before the disaster was contained, the Los Angeles community united in action and spirit…

UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology Champions Strong Regional Food Economy with CA Food Hub Convening The IssueThrough the Southwest Regional Food Business Center (SWRFBC), we have initiated a statewide effort to support and connect food hub stakeholders across California. Improving coordination among…

What is the issue?Most of ALBA’s farmers market their product through local distributors, some of which have been instrumental in helping farmers move volumes of their organic produce. Indeed, they are the ‘bread and butter’ of most farmers. The challenge in this arrangement is that farmers sell on the ‘open…

North State Planning & Development Collective at CSU Chico Offers Resiliency Training to Rural Communities The Issue – Disaster Preparedness for Rural Food BusinessesCSU Chico, a key partner of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center (SWRFBC), is situated in a region deeply impacted by natural…