2025 AZFSN Annual Gathering
Seeds to Systems
Learn. Connect. Organize.
October 29, 2025
8:30 AM – 4 PM
Rio Salado College Conference Center
2323 W. 14th Street in Tempe, AZ
Agenda
8:30 – 9:00 AM – AZFSN Orientation (optional)
Whether you’re new to the Arizona Food Systems Network or simply need a little refresher, we welcome you to join us for a brief orientation. We’ll review AZFSN’s history, share its priorities, and help you figure out where you fit in.
8:30 – 9:30 AM – Pastry with a Partner & Snuggle a Puppy
Come early and enjoy a light breakfast and coffee as you catch up with friends and colleagues. The Arizona Humane Society will be there with three adorable (and adoptable!) puppies to cuddle with. Please arrive by 9 am so that we can get you checked in and ready to go by the time we start at 9:30 am.
9:30 – 10:00 AM – Welcome
We’ll start the day with a grounding activity and land acknowledgement.
10:00 AM – 12:15 PM – Organizing 101: Building Relationships & Developing Effective Strategies
(Jennifer R. Myhre, Ph.D and Carol Stephenson)
This two-part workshop will introduce you to community organizing as an approach for making change. It will encourage you to build relationships as an essential tool for building people power and offer you ways of developing effective strategies to win.
12:15 – 1:30 PM – Lunch
Enjoy good company and nourishing food from Rio Salado College’s sustainable catering program.
1:30 – 2:30 PM – Make Art, Make Justice (Jennifer R. Myhre, Ph.D)
In this hands-on workshop, we will use art as a tool to cut through the noise when targeting our elected officials. No previous experience with art-making is necessary!
2:30 – 3:45 PM – Pollinators: Community-led topics and conversations
Guests will have the opportunity to propose important food system topics and facilitate conversations with their peers.
3:45 – 4:00 PM – Closing
Take our survey and tell us about your experience at the Gathering. Everyone who completes a survey will be entered to win a fun raffle prize!
REGISTRATION Please register by October 15th to let us know that you’re coming
This is a free event, and we are happy to be able to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost. In an effort to reduce food and other waste, we would like to have an accurate guest count – please only RSVP if you are confident that you will be able to attend. With that said, things happen! If something changes and you’re no longer able to join us, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can plan accordingly.
If you have a question or need to change your RSVP, please email [email protected]
Learn More About Our Trainers
Jennifer R. Myhre, Ph.D works at the intersection of arts and community organizing, after a twenty plus year career as an anti-racist educator and sociologist. She was a community organizer for Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Santa Clara County, for 5 years as a volunteer and for 3 years as a full-time paid staff organizer. Developing meaningful solidarity among people with privilege has been at the core of her work for three decades. Finally, as an artist, she has used the power of storytelling and creativity across multiple media to build people power and empathy across difference.
You can learn more about her @moreartlessfear or https://www.jennifermyhre.net/
Carol Stephenson began her career in effecting local change as an immigration lawyer and has since worked on immigrant rights, poverty and housing issues. She spent five years as an organizer participating in renters rights, sanctuary and racial justice campaigns. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director of the Immigration Legal Services Department at Jewish Family Service in San Diego and co-leads the San Diego Showing Up for Racial Justice Immigration Solidarity Group. Carol loves being in the ocean, trivia night with her family, and trying to grow a decent tomato.
Resources
Getting to the Annual Gathering
If you are looking to catch (or give) a ride with others from your area that are also coming to the gathering this year, we have created a Carpool Connections Spreadsheet. Individuals can use the spreadsheet to indicate that they either 1) need a ride or 2) are willing to drive others in from their community.
The spreadsheet has separate tabs for the following regions:
- Central AZ (for those in Maricopa, Pinal, or Gila Counites)
- Northern AZ (for those in Yavapai or Coconino Counties)
- Northeast AZ (For those in Navajo or Apache Counties)
- Northwest AZ (for those in Mojave County)
- Southern AZ (for those in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties)
- Southeast AZ (for those in Graham, Greenlee, or Cochise County)
- Southwest AZ (For those in La Paz or Yuma County)
Please note: Attendees will need to connect with one another to determine final ride logistics. Pinnacle staff will send a reminder email to do so prior to the gathering.
Carpooling is Cool! Get to know other food system practitioners in your area and help protect the environment!
