The AZ Good Food Forum + Expo, presented by Local First Arizona, is coming up on Tuesday, August 27 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the El Conquistador Hilton Resort.
This year’s event is themed “Building Arizona’s Resilient Food Future,” and it’s a convergence of minds and expertise dedicated to strengthening Arizona’s local food system.
The Forum will offer a lively discussion among Arizona food thought leaders across a dozen panels, such as desert-adapted diets, practical advice for growers, and a dedicated forum track highlighting the invaluable wisdom and practices of Indigenous communities in Arizona.
The Expo will showcase the latest local food products, facilitating connections between local chefs, retailers, and emerging food entrepreneurs. This is an excellent opportunity to explore Arizona’s culinary delights and connect with the driving forces behind our local food economy.
Tickets have sold out so hopefully you’ve already secured ’em! Doors open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 27 and the forum runs from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
However, if you didn’t get tickets, the Expo portion of the event is free to attend and will run from 1 – 4 p.m.
Keep scrolling to see this year’s vendors!
Good Food Expo Vendors
- Achiote
- Arizona Pasta Pasta
- Arizona Sands Club
- Arizona Wilderness Brewing
- Aurora Payments
- AZ Restaurant Consulting
- BeeSpicy
- Bella’s Gelato Shoppe
- Bene Vivendo Farm
- Better Than Provisions
- BKW Farms
- Borderland Spirits
- Brick Box Brewery
- Brillé Mead Co
- Carolina’s Chocolate
- Cheri’s Desert Harvest
- Cheryl’s Jams and Jellies
- Chocolate 66
- Cycling Moon Cafe
- Desert Forager
- DI CASA
- Dirt Lady Bread
- Dirty T Tamarindo
- DL Foods
- Dos Mujeres Foodies: Tortilleria Arevalo & Copper Country Pasty Shop
- Dragon Skin Jerky
- Earth Sugar
- Eco Lizard
- Elif’s Kitchen
- Fast Prints USA
- Food Forest Cooperative
- Ging & Juice
- Golden Palm Foods
- Greater Faith Word Church International
- Heartquist Hollow Farm
- Hot Flash Chile Products
- I’d Smoke That
- K4 Gourmet Beef and K4 Copper State Reserve
- Kettle Heroes Popcorn
- Laramita Cellars
- Life Under the Oaks Lavender Farm
- Little Lighthouse Farm
- Local First Arizona – Good Food Finder
- Maya Tea
- Monsoon Chocolate
- Mouth of the South Salsa Company
- Nana Sylvia’s Salsa
- Native Seeds/SEARCH
- Oatman Farms
- Oeuf White Bakehouse
- Olive and Penelope
- Pan de Mujer Sinaloa
- Ponvel Coco
- Poppies Gourmet Popcorn
- Quetzal Co-op
- Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit Tea
- San Xavier Cooperative Farm
- Sexton Pest Control
- Shannon’s Kitchen The Best Bar
- Solutions by Christin
- Southern AZ Farm to Institution Value Chain
- Spot On
- Sun Produce Cooperative
- Sweet Sensations Ice Cream and Candy
- Tannas Botannas
- The Local Co-op
- The Roasted Chile
- The Toffee Merchant
- The Tuscon Tasty Show
- Timoteo’s Spice Co.
- Town of Marana/Discover Marana
- Tucson Chocolate Factory
- Tucson Tamale
- Whiskey Del Bac
PANEL: STORIES WE TELL ABOUT WHAT WE EAT
During the Forum part of the event (which happens in the morning, prior to the Expo), Tucson Foodie will be hosting a panel titled Stories We Tell About What We Eat.
Head Foodie of Tucson Foodie, Shane Reiser, will be moderating the panel. Joining Shane will be Christa Lebron of Chez Peachy and Gary Hickey of Charro Steak & Del Rey.
The Good Food Forum + Expo is taking place at El Conquistador Hilton Resort, located at 10000 N. Oracle Rd. For more information, visit goodfoodfinderaz.com. To purchase tickets, visit eventbrite.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
