Arizona Friends of the Farm Program

Friends of the Farm is a pilot farm-to-food bank program that helps Arizona’s small growers and food-insecure families. With seed money from the office of Governor Ducey, FOTF purchases Arizona-grown fruits, vegetables, dairy, eggs, and meat for distribution throughout its network of food banks and pantries. The focus is to plan contracts and purchase surplus from small-scale producers to provide a reliable market that pays a living wage, offer unique variety to food bank clients, and invest in a strong local food system.

Any Arizona-based farm, ranch, farm/ranch collaborative, or gleaning group with Arizona grown produce or protein is eligible to participate in the Friends of the Farm program. Entities may be for-profit, non-profit, and/or cooperatives.

The focus is to purchase from small growers. "Small growers” is defined according to the USDA farm classification scale of annual gross cash farm income below $350,000 or 150 acres (both will be considered on a case by case basis).

This is a purchase contract, not a grant — AzFBN buys your product for distribution through its food banks and pantries.

• Contract cap: "Project budgets are limited to $35,000 per term."

• Two terms per year, applied for separately (FY27 cycle): "Term 1: July 1, 2026 – October 31, 2026 (4 months)" with "Application Deadline: March 30, 2026" and "Contracts will be awarded: May 2026"; "Term 2: December 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 (7 months)" with "Application Deadline: September 30, 2026" and "Contracts will be awarded: November 2026."

• No match or cost-share is required, and no per-unit price list is published — pricing comes out of the contract you negotiate. The program's stated aim is "to provide a reliable market that pays a living wage, offers unique variety to food bank clients, and invests in a strong local food system."

• You submit a Product Proposal Plan (template provided) plus food safety documentation, and can book a 30- or 60-minute call with the Friends of the Farm Manager before applying.

• Funding behind it: state seed money plus USDA's Local Food Purchase Assistance program.

AzFBN is now accepting FY27 applications for the Friends of the Farm program. There are two application periods: Term 1 runs July 1, 2026 - October 31, 2026 (4 months), with an application deadline of March 30, 2026 and contracts awarded in May 2026. Term 2 runs December 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 (7 months), with an application deadline of September 30, 2026 and contracts awarded in November 2026. Project budgets are limited to $35,000 per term. Before applying, review the Program Participation Framework and the Farm-to-Food Bank Product Tip Sheet, then download the FY27 FOF Application Checklist and complete the Friends of the Farm FY27 Application Form. Applicants may schedule a Quick Touch Base (30 min) or an In-Depth Discussion (60 min) with Friends of the Farm Manager Erica Uhl to discuss their application and options. For additional information, contact AzFBN at info@azfoodbanks.org or (602) 528-3434.

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