Producer

Sun Produce Cooperative (SPC) is a multi-stakeholder agricultural and marketing organization that includes agricultural producers, distributors, buyers and market specialists.

Its mission is to create viable alternative distribution streams for Arizona’s smaller-scale producers, reduce barriers to market entry, gain economies of scale through its aggregate size, and leverage cooperative branding and marketing and supply purchasing efforts. The co-op model supports its members to combine product volume and variety as well as resources and expertise in order to expand reach into new markets. SPC connects increased consumption of local food for better over-all individual and community health to farm viability and economic development.

The co-op coordinates farmer-member production, aggregation and distribution to increase sales of locally-produced fruits and vegetables. It serves children and families throughout the Valley of the sun through its Farm to School, Farmraiser / Healthy Fundraiser programs and through other partners who want to provide locally grown food to their customers.

Farm members include:

Arrandale Farms
BAR B Produce
Blue Sky Organic Farms
Crooked Sky Farms
The Farm at Agritopia
J&J Poms
Maya's Farm
MidTown Microgreens
Orchard Community Learning Center
Pinnacle Farms
RhibaFarms

Distributor members include:

Pivot Produce

Buyer Members include:

Metro Tech High School
Prescott Valley Farms Market
Sifted

Food and Agricultural Marketing Expert members (FAME) include:

Marina Acosta, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension – AZ Health Zone
Carol Diemer, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension – AZ Health Zone
Cindy Gentry, Maricopa County Dept. of Public Health
Chris George, Third Acre Farm
Rachel Gomez Acosta, Concordia Charter School
Stewart Jacobson, AZ Dept. of Agriculture
Anthony Kamson, Kamson Financial
Maricopa County Cooperative Extension – AZ Health Zone
Kristen Osgood, Arizona State University, Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service
John Penry, Penry Consulting
Kate Radosevic, Local First Arizona
David Schwake, R.D., SNS
Richard Starling, AZ Cooperative Initiative / AZ Community Land Trust

Partners include:

Arizona Farm to School Network
Best Farmers Market
Blue Watermelon Project
Concordia Charter School
Experience Nutrition
Farm Express by Discovery Triangle
Interfaith Cooperative Ministries
Litchfield Elementary School District
Local First Arizona
Maricopa Community Colleges
Maricopa County Dept. of Public Health
The Mollen Foundation
Orchard Community Learning Center
Persepshen
Phoenix Elementary School District
Pinnacle Prevention
Pure Greens
Town of Gilbert Wellness Initiative
Tracy Dempsey Originals
United Food Bank
Waste Not Perishable Food Rescue and Delivery
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Board members:

President: Cindy Gentry, Maricopa County Dept. of Public Health

Vice-President, Community Relations: Rachel Gomez Acosta, Wellness Coordinator, Concordia Charter School

Vice President, Production: Sara Dolan, Blue Sky Organic Farms

Secretary: Marina Acosta, Maricopa Co. Cooperative Extension

Treasurer: David Schwake, R.D.

Immediate Past President: Dave Brady, BAR-B Produce

Richard Starling, AZ Cooperative Initiative & AZ Community Land Trust

Kristen Osgood, Arizona State University, Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service

Anthony Kamson, Kamson Financial

Kate Radosevic, Local First Arizona

Maya Dailey, Maya's Farm

Herbert Smith, Metro Tech High School

Erik Stanford, Pivot Produce

Chris George, Third Acre Farm