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Prescott Food Forest Gala Marks a Major Victory for Gardening Education Programs

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There has never been a more important time than now to learn or expand your ability to grow food.

On Tuesday Feb. 21, at The Club at Prescott Lakes, we hosted a Victory Garden Gala to raise awareness and funds to support the Gardeners Of Destiny (GOD) gardening education training program at B Organic Farm, Chino Valley.

The evening was a total success. More than 125 people from all sectors of our community came to support our mission to empower people to grow food for health and self-sustainability.

I am grateful for the support from our sponsors, donors, friends and neighbors. I want to thank Ed Walsh and Bob Knudson from Lamb Cadillac for their generous primary sponsorship and also Grayden Guilford and Pinnacle Bank for their gold sponsorship. Your donations allowed us to accelerate our plans and efforts!

A special note of appreciation to Ken Lain and Watters Garden Center for their sponsorship and donation of a fruit tree orchard as part of our live auction. Ken was also the keynote speaker, sharing his first-hand experience seeing the shift toward edible growing and backyard gardening to fight inflation and to ensure healthy food consumption. His expertise and insights were enjoyed by all.

I was honored that Prescott City Councilman Steve Sischka attended as a sponsor with Olsen’s for Healthy Pets, as well as Dan Olsen, who offered a beautiful blessing before dinner. I am proud that my wife, Lisa, was a sponsor with Silver Sands Recovery. Special thanks to Quad Cities Business News, Toby Ebarb with Legacy Roofing, Mark Womack with Womack Construction and Brian Wirick of Sterling North Homes for their sponsorships. Vickie Johnston from H20 Health not only sponsored the event, but contributed a whole house water filtration system for our live auction. I have gratitude for the Barley Hound and the Vivili Group for donating a private culinary experience for eight at the Barley Hound, with a personalized chef’s dinner.

I want to thank many local individuals and businesses for donating items, experiences and art for our silent auction and raffle items. We truly live in a giving and supportive community. All told, we raised close to $30,000 and netted close to $20,000. This provides the needed resources to grow and expand our efforts.

The evening started with a soulful musical performance by the very talented Kenny James. The food, prepared by Chef Matt at The Club at Prescott Lakes, was delicious. They also donated a private chef’s dinner for six and a round of golf.

I was proud to present the 2nd Annual “Arline’s Angel Award” (in memory of my mom), which is presented to someone who reflects the giving nature my mom had. We awarded Stephane Leon, a local schoolteacher and the designer of our logos, website and the evening’s program guide, as this year’s recipient. Most importantly, she is the director of the Gardeners Of Destiny training program, which just completed the eight-week winter greenhouse growing course and was well received.

In that regard, we are offering a Summer Growing course starting Sat., April 29 for eight weeks. If you would like to participate, we have a few spots left. For more information, please visit prescottfoodforest.com. To apply for a full scholarship, you need to commit to a minimum of 10 hours of volunteering at B Organic Farm. Everyone seems to love this win/win deal.

Finally, I am thankful for our team of volunteers that worked tirelessly to help plan and execute the outcome we achieved. Specifically, I want to thank Ann Herrington, Susan Rubio, Rhonda Clark, Debra Ott, LeRoy Miller, Wendy Lancy, and Betty and Bob Knudson for their time, effort and heart to make this event a Big Victory to continue our education and growing food programs.

There has never been a more important time than now to learn or expand your ability to grow food. You are welcome to join us as a volunteer, student or donor for our scholarship drive. Together, we are making a difference and positively impacting our community by teaching gardening skills and building new friendships with like-minded people. Yes, this is a place for people to grow together, so let’s get growing! QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy is a realtor and founder of Make 100 Healthy. He can be reached at 928-899-1341.

Shelters Seeing Uptick in Pet Adoptions

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Tour for Life and springtime mean more homes for homeless dogs and cats.

Spring is a great time for new beginnings, and for thousands of homeless animals across the country, it may be just the right time to find loving, responsible forever families. That’s because the national 2023 Tour for Life event runs through April in collaboration with shelters and rescue partners in 66 cities and towns across 39 states.

For example, four dogs are settling into a happy home life with families who have just adopted them. Lotus, a Basenji fox terrier mix; Poncho, a Bernese Mountain dog; Brody, a shepherd mix; and Milo, a whippet, had all just spent about nine long months in their kennels at the Coconino Humane Association (CHA) on East Butler Avenue in Flagstaff.

Three lucky cats, Victoria, 4; Moose, 3; and Tink, 4, were also among the 19 cats and 11 dogs who found nice homes during the Tour for Life event at CHA March 13 through March 19.

Starting in mid-March, annual Tour for Life events run for eight weeks and bring organizations that help homeless animals together to facilitate the adoption process for animals in need.

“All of our shelters are pushing for adoption in the spring to make space,” said CHA Executive Director Michelle Ryan. “Pre-COVID, we would typically run at about 30 to 40% capacity. Now we are at about 98 to 102% capacity. We are getting puppies and kittens 12 months of the year.”

The shelter has about 150 animals currently and the newly adopted pets, except the four longer-resident dogs, had come into CHA since January.

The Tour for Life adoptions represented a little more than twice as many adoptions as the previous month, she added. Those adopting during the tour receive a $50 discount.

“The fee includes spay/neuter procedures, vaccines, including rabies, a microchip, including registration, and they are dewormed and receive preventative flea and tick medicines,” she said.

At CHA, the fees are $265 for puppies and $175 for kitties. For adult animals older than 6 months, dogs fees are $210, $135 for cats. Senior and special-needs animals are from $0 to $50.

“Adopting is a big bang for your buck. Typically, it can be $650 or more in Flagstaff if you bought a dog or found a dog, or your neighbor gave you a gift of a dog.”

Since its inception in 2001, the annual Tour for Life event has brought attention to the plight of homeless animals and has reached great success by finding homes for more than 28,000 animals.

Tour for Life was conceived by North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization. According to a league press release, the organization has saved more than 1.1 million animals during its 80 years of existence. In addition, the league operates a nationwide referral network for affordable spay and neuter services.

The tour this year is in partnership with talk show host Rachael Ray and her Nutrish pet food brand, which offers dog and cat food and snacks inspired by recipes created in Ray’s kitchen featuring “real ingredients” suitable for a “variety of pet diets,” according to a Nutrish press release.

Some factors creating overcrowded conditions in shelters since the pandemic began include a drop in staffing and a reduction in affordable locations for spay and neuter surgeries. “It’s been a huge struggle,” Ryan said. “We used to hire mobile clinics out of Tucson. But because of post-pandemic life, they didn’t have the staffing to do it.  There have been no clinics up here for a year.”

A big garage at CHA that used to store pet food is being converted into a clinic and is expected to be ready for low-cost spay and neuter surgeries by the fall. “We are also hiring a volunteer coordinator to set up more adoption events than we have right now.”

Monthly adoption events are held at the Continental Country Club and at Bookmans Flagstaff Entertainment Exchange. CHA will also have a presence at the Celtic Festival and Doney Park Community Market this month through the summer. Cats and dogs are at Petco twice a month.

Staff at CHA will also take adoptable dogs and puppies (who tolerate heat better than cats and kittens) to Sedona in October during the Wild Cat Carnival at West Sedona Elementary School.

In the Prescott area, the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) on Sundog Ranch Road also has been highlighting spring pet adoption with its “Hello Spring, Opt to Adopt” motto.

“Better weather is always better for adoption meet and greets,” said Loree Walden, marketing manager at YHS. “No one wants to be out in a windy snowstorm or rainy day trying to get to know a dog. A nice, beautiful day is always best, but we are always available with our animals to do a meet and greet for anyone who would like to make an appointment to come meet these precious animals, as long as it is safe for the animal, our staff and customers.”

YHS, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, hosted a successful, three-day “Feeling Lucky” event on Saint Patrick’s Day weekend. The society had a “pick your price” special on adult dogs and cats, and 27 animals went home – 22 dogs and five cats.

Although spring brings an uptick in adoption, the pressing need to find reliable and safe homes for animals is an ongoing challenge. “It’s important year-round, every single day of the year, to find homes for our animals,” Walden said. “In the spring, we see an increase in puppies and kittens, because it is their season and many of the older or bigger dogs get overlooked because, of course, everyone wants a puppy. Shelters nationwide are full and unfortunately will never run out of animals needing homes as more animals are surrendered or brought in as strays every day.”

YHS is scheduled to conduct a Community Pet Food Pantry Food Drive and National Adopt A Shelter Day Adoption Special from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 29. “We’ll have KKLD and KRVD here broadcasting live,” Walden said. “Gringo’s Street Tacos Food Truck will be here, a photo booth to take pictures with your pup, information booths and an adoption special, which will probably be ‘pick your price’ for dogs over 6 months old and over 15 pounds and cats over 6 months old. Our hope is that by providing the Community Pet Food Pantry, pet owners know they have a place to go to provide their pets with food, and they don’t have to surrender them because they cannot afford food.”

The YHS Community Pet Food Pantry is being made possible through donations. QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Courtesy Photo: Twenty-seven animals found new homes on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, including this dog named Gina, through a Yavapai Humane Society adoption event. 

Understanding Your Customers Through Data

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Customer tracking data is extremely valuable, he says.

Knowing where Quad Cities customers are traveling from helps business owners know where to send marketing messages about their products and services. Regional Economic Development Center economist and data analyst Ryan Jones says knowledge about demographics are key to making effective business decisions. He shared information about tools that can help inform businesses with the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce last month.

Customer tracking data is extremely valuable, he says. Whenever cell phone customers download apps, companies download data about the customers and sell it to other companies.

Buxton and Placer.ai are two companies that capture such information. With information from cell phone apps, these companies can acquire customers’ marital status, income and education level.

For example, the data show that 73% of visitors to the Founding Fathers Collective in Prescott live within 25 miles of the entity, but they also come from Phoenix and Bagdad, Arizona.

“They know where you live so they can tell how much you make and have customer profiles,” said Jones. “They can tell how likely someone is to visit Founding Fathers.”

Jones points out that grocery stores like to serve a population of about 14,000 people. While Chino Valley’s population is slightly below that, the Safeway there remains one of the busiest in the country. Thus, data helps companies determine their market reach based on elements beyond simply the number of people who live in the area.

He said the data reveals that 27% of the workforce in Chino Valley and 30% in Prescott and elsewhere in Yavapai County commute to Maricopa County for jobs. Also, the Prescott area is one of the most expensive in the state for cost of living.

One of the reasons for residents working in Maricopa County is the difference in salaries. The median salary 2020, while the national wage average for job postings in the U.S. has gone up 17% during that time. in Chino Valley is $38,200, and Prescott is $38,600, while the median salary in Phoenix is $42,600, compared to $43,400 for the country.

Meanwhile, wages advertised for job postings for Chino Valley and Prescott have increased 33% since 2020, while the national wage average for job postings in the U.S. has gone up 17% during that time.

Jones says Chino Valley has more jobs than expected with workers in government, retail and construction. He said the government jobs are considered secure while construction jobs are risky. Sixty percent of the workers in Yavapai County are employed by small businesses.

Using 2020 census figures, Jones reports that Chino Valley’s population has grown by 21% since 2010, while the state has grown 14% during that time.

Fifty-five percent of the residents are 18 to 64 years old, while 29% are 64 or older.

He also reported a trend that many Chino Valley residents are moving to Wyoming, noting that Chino Valley and Wyoming both have cowboy cultures and an appreciation for freedom.

Jones moved here from Minnesota 18 months ago. His degree from the University of Wisconsin is in financial investments and banking. He also studied business and economics in China. QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Photo by Stan Bindell: Regional Economic Development Center data analyst Ryan Jones shared the importance of customer demographics with Chino Valley businesses. 

Two-Day Pecan, Wine Festival Returns to Camp Verde

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Fifteen of the best local wineries within the Verde Valley will be in attendance, pouring their newest releases by the glass, bottle and case.

Saturday, March 18 through Sunday, March 19 marks the 22ndAnnual Camp Verde Pecan & Wine Festival hosted by the Verde Valley Wine Consortium and the Town of Camp Verde, sponsored by Yavapai College and the Southwest Wine Center, SRP, the Arizona Office of Tourism and Larry Green Chevrolet. Celebrating two of the area’s prime tourism draws – wine and pecans – the free festival will feature 15 Arizona wineries along with a variety of pecans for pairing, a very competitive Pecan Pie contest, a Budweiser Beer Garden, food trucks and 70+ local artisans.

 “The Verde Valley American Viticulture Area (AVA) has achieved so much acclaim since its designation in 2021 that we are expecting a great turnout this year,” said Parks and Recreation Manager Michael Marshall.

Fifteen of the best local wineries within the Verde Valley will be in attendance, pouring their newest releases by the glass, bottle and case.

Wine tasting tickets (for attendees 21+) are available for $20 in advance by visiting www.verdevalleywine.org or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/camp-verde-pecan-and-wine-festival-tickets-479518782587.

Tickets will also be available at the door for $25 per person. Both include a commemorative glass provided by the Arizona Office of Tourism and six wine tasting tickets. Additional wine tasting tickets will be available for purchase at the event.

The festival runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, March 18 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, March 19 in downtown Camp Verde (75 E. Hollamon Street). QCBN

For more information, visit cvaz.org or verdevalleywine.org.

Verde Valley Caregivers Driving Healthcare Solutions

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Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition provides transportation for elderly, disabled ‘neighbors’.

Miller Bizardi loves his job as driver for Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition (VVCC), and it’s just as rewarding for him as it is for the neighbors he drives.

VVCC gives clients, fondly referred to as “neighbors,” rides for kidney dialysis, doctor appointments, grocery shopping, medication pick-up, friendly visits and
more.

“We even take care of pets when our neighbors are hospitalized,” said Bizardi. “That includes taking pets to veterinary appointments as well.”

“Caring always comes first, and we are building and rallying the entire community to care,” said VVCC Executive Director Kent Ellsworth. “That’s basically what we do, and we make sure we reach out to every little town throughout the Verde Valley to ensure we are reaching people in need and help to solve problems.”

Realizing that elderly people often want to stay in their home, the place they love, Ellsworth said, “We help those who are trying to make it on their own.”

“We don’t charge the people we serve, they’re struggling right now, they’re unable to drive due to health conditions at an advanced age, the last thing they need is somebody charging them for the next bit of help. So, what we want to do is make sure there are no barriers to getting them the assistance they need.”

Medical alert devices are also provided at no charge. “Our dispatch is available from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” said Ellsworth.

“They are the nicest people and I’m so grateful for them,” said VVCC client Lynn Newman, who has lived in Sedona for 23 years. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to move. They have been taking me to my physical therapy appointments every week since 2020.”

New to VVCC is a partnership with Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) to provide virtual care assistance to NAH patients who need help with telehealth appointments. The program will provide the device, software and volunteer staff assistance enabling patients to have telehealth appointments with their health care providers.

“We are grateful to be able to partner with the volunteers at VVCC on this program that will increase access to care for many patients that have difficulties leaving their homes for their medical appointments or experience challenges with technology,” said NAH Director of Telehealth Systems Travis Boren.

Transportation services extend as far north as Flagstaff and south to the Phoenix metro area. Ellsworth estimates that just this year alone, staff and volunteer drivers have driven nearly 500,000 miles.

After retiring, John Wozniak was looking for something to occupy his time, so he volunteered to be a driver with VVCC. “I wanted to help people and this opportunity came up. The people are very grateful and happy to have someone to take them places. It makes you feel like you’re giving back.” Wozniak volunteers three or four days a week and has been a volunteer driver for six years.

“We have so many people we are serving right now who need to get to dialysis. If they had to pay out-of-pocket, it would cost them at least $120 a day for a round-trip,” said Ellsworth.

“We are also funded by grantors and receive governmental and municipal contracts such as from Arizona Department of Transportation and the cities of Sedona and Cottonwood,” said Development and Communications Manager Linda Clark.

The VVCC staff includes 13 and 180 volunteers. “We cater to individuals with disabilities as well as the elderly,” said Ellsworth.

“I just love working here,” said VVCC Call Specialist Veloy Habinck, who has worked at VVCC since 2017. “I’m a team leader and my responsibilities are making sure we’re all on the same page here by keeping systems updated and distributed properly.”

Verde Valley Caregivers was founded in 1992 by a coalition of Sedona churches, City of Sedona, Kachina Point (assisted living facility), and Verde Valley Medical Center. QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

To contact VVCC, call 928-204-1238 or go to vvcaregivers.org.

Arizona Scientists Working to Control Galapagos Rat Population without Poison

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Rodents threatening survival of species and farms.

The chain of 19 islands that make up the Galapagos archipelago have been called “a priceless living laboratory.” The vast biodiversity of these islands that lie 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador is said to have inspired the theory of evolution.

Now, a Northern Arizona organization is working to help protect the islands from an invasive rat population that is threatening not only many of the endemic species of the Galapagos, but also the farms that are vital to the islands’ 40,000 human inhabitants.

Women in Science Doing Outreach and Mentoring (WISDOM) LLC, co-founded by Flagstaff scientists Dr. Loretta Mayer and Dr. Cheryl Dyer, is providing fertility-control technology to The Galapagos Project (galapagosproject.org), a two-year initiative aimed at restoring ecological balance humanely and without the use of poisons. Among the Galapagos sponsors is the Arizona-based Ramsey Social Justice Foundation, which provides grants and financial assistance to underrepresented communities.

The project is a collaboration between WISDOM; Animal Balance, an international animal welfare NGO; and the Agencia de Bioseguridad Galápagos (ABG), which oversees the archipelago.

“Animal Balance has been working in the region for years, providing consistent spay and neuter clinics, dog training classes and workshops on caring for animals,” said Mayer. “What WISDOM is bringing is a protocol for disbursing oral contraceptives to rodents, to reduce the population without poison.”

Mayer and Emma Clifford, who founded Animal Balance in 2004, have admired each other’s work for years. They first met in 2003 at the first conference of Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs, where Mayer was presenting early findings on the potential for a non-surgical spay approach for dogs and Clifford was preparing to go to the Galapagos to spay and neuter dogs and cats.

As Clifford recalled: “I wanted to use non-surgical means to kindly manage the rats, cats and dogs of the Galapagos, but I was 19 years too early.”

Mayer and a team of WISDOM scientists and researchers recently returned from Isabela Island in the Galapagos, where they confirmed that the rodents – rattus rattus (known as the black rat) and mus musculus (the house mouse), would eat the pellets containing the fertility-control technology from feeding stations placed around farms on the islands.

Most of the feeding stations were made of biodegradable paperboard, selected to not add to the waste-stream of the islands. Two, however, were wood feeding stations constructed by Sinagua Middle School students, who built them in shop class. The Sinagua boxes were tested in the field as a culmination of WISDOM’s partnership with Sinagua Woodshop teacher Amy Dries and the Flagstaff Festival of Science.

“The most important thing is that we accomplished our mission to establish a research beachhead with Animal Balance to collect the data to allow us to lay out the two-year plan in a research protocol,” said Mayer.

The trip also allowed the scientists and researchers to meet and learn from government officials, local farmers and community members, building on relationships that Animal Balance has cultivated for decades. This includes working closely with the ABG. The agency – part of the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment – is charged with the biosafety of the islands and reducing the risk of any invasive species that endanger the biodiversity of the islands, the local economy and human health.

If successful, the project will bring greater ecological balance to the Galapagos, benefiting both that biodiversity and the residents of the islands, and also inform better balance solutions for islands worldwide.

Rattus rattus was accidentally introduced into the Galapagos by pirates and whalers in the 17th and 18th centuries. The consequences were devastating; over time the rodent population has resulted in the near extinction of certain endemic species.

Among the creatures threatened by the rat overpopulation are the rare pink land iguana and the giant tortoises of the islands. Rats will dig into the nests of these animals and eat the eggs and hatchlings.

Meanwhile, the rats also feast on local farm goods, which are essential to the residents of the islands. While there is a monthly container ship from mainland Ecuador that provides some foodstuffs, the pandemic showed that relying on these ships is not sustainable. Residents need the produce produced by local farms to survive, and rats are destroying these crops.

The reception of the WISDOM and Animal Balance teams on this project went very well, according to Jessica Gonzalez, who is the program director for Animal Balance in the Galapagos.

“This project brings together science and the community with the support of local authorities in perfect synchrony to implement an effective and sustainable solution for the control of non-endemic rodent populations, which Galapagos deserves,” she said. “I am convinced that we are marking an important milestone in the conservation of the Enchanted Islands.”

The team from WISDOM plans to return to the archipelago later this year. QCBN

By Cindy May, QCBN

Learning Business Skills Early

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Annual Girl Scout Cookie drive trains girls to be entrepreneurs.

You only have 3,484 packages left to sell to reach your goal of 3,500, and the annual Girls Scout Cookie drive has just begun.

For Madisyn “Madi” Van Hemert, a 12th grader in Girl Scout Troop 212, these goals are exciting, achievable and educational.

“After 12 years of scouts, I have learned many valuable life skills,” said Van Hemert. “Money management has been the biggest skill. Additionally, I have learned customer service skills, budgeting and how to grow with the modernizing advances that we have to incorporate.”

Van Hemert is also working on a project for a Gold Award, the highest earned award in Girl Scouts, which must be started in high school and must demonstrate leadership skills and a desire to give back to the community.

Mentoring her on her project will be Nikki Lober, the Troop 212 leader, who has been involved with Girl Scouts for more than 30 years.

Lober recently collected comments to post in the girls’ own words about their goals and what they have learned from the cookie sale.

“I have been privileged to lead this troop and see many girls come and go,” she said. “I have seen each and every one of them grow and leave our troop with more skills and more confidence than when they started.”

Since her scouting daughter, Amelia, graduated from high school, the troop has been limited to older girls in middle and high school, thus “providing a place for any girl who wants to continue but their original troop does not,” she added.

So far, Troop 212, which has been active for 19 years, has welcomed girls from six troops. There are 16 registered girls this year.

Lober also is the cookie manager for the Sunny Peaks Service Unit and trains all the Girl Scout leaders in Sedona, Flagstaff, Williams, Winslow and Page on the procedures for the cookie sale and how to teach the girls and parents how to have a successful cookie sale.

“Most of these girls have been selling for years, so I support them by training them on new information for the year and making sure they have the resources they need. Each year, the older girls plan a Cookie Kickoff or Cookie Rally. At this event, they have activities to teach the younger girls the skills needed to be successful in the cookie sale.”

This year, the troop goal is to sell 12,000 boxes. There are 12 girls selling and their goals range from 250 to 3,500 boxes, depending on the time they have to put into the sale.

The girls train with a cookie booth. They take turns sharpening their professional behavior and sales pitch. They also engage in a door-to-door sales practice to help them become more comfortable talking to customers.

A cookie-tasting session teaches them about the cookie varieties, so they know their products.

They also learn about goal setting for themselves and their troop and play a business ethics game to learn how to live by the Girl Scout Law throughout the cookie sale. “The older girls make sure that each activity has some fun to go with the learning,” Lober said.

On the cookie website, Emma Hirning, an 11th grader, wrote that she completed her Gold Award in 2022, and that she has enjoyed being her own “cookie boss.” She states that she is “hoping to sell 350 boxes this year to be able to make wonderful memories with some of my best friends in Troop 212! I am so happy to have the opportunity to raise money to go on fun trips with some of my favorite people!”

The history of the Girl Scout Cookie is long. It began in 1917 with home-baked cookies made by scouting girls with the help of their mothers as baking advisors. These early baking endeavors began about five years after Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouts in the U.S., as an effort to raise money to finance troop activities.

The simple sugar cookie was the first product. Today, there are 13 kinds, from the classic Trefoils (shortbread) and Thin Mints (mint chocolate dipped), to newer Adventurefuls (brownie cookie with caramel crème and sea salt) and Raspberry Rally (crispy raspberry flavor dipped in chocolate).

Alexis Velazquez, a ninth grader in Troop 212, posted about the cookies and the sale: “Being my own cookie boss with special needs for the past seven years has taught me to have more confidence in myself,” she wrote. “As well as learning to work as a team and getting to eat some yummy cookies.”

This year, the website for the cookie sale reminds customers of the benefits to the girls from their selling efforts: “When you make a Girl Scout Cookie purchase, you’re helping the next generation of girl entrepreneurs get an important taste of what it takes to be successful – teamwork, planning and a positive outlook.”

The success of the cookie campaign each year is aided by a Family Guide, published by the Girl Scouts – Cactus Pine Council, which serves more than 90 communities in Central and Northern Arizona.

“It helps the families help their Girl Scouts,” said Lober. “There are also lots of resources on their website to help the girls with skills and also help them earn a Family Cookie Entrepreneur pin and badges.”

The troop earns $0.95 per box sold, which the girls decide how to spend. “The remaining proceeds from the cookie sale stay with our Arizona Cactus Pine Council to support our camps, girl programs and activities, and for volunteer support and training. The cookie sale is not a competition between girls or troops. It is an opportunity for the girls to learn how to be businesswomen and support the programs they love.”

“Troop 212 gives back to the community each year. “We have adopted a trail, and we take advantage of many different volunteer opportunities. We always help out at Riordan Mansion events. Our favorite is the Tea on the Veranda.”

The role of volunteers has always been vital to the success of scouting. Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman has acted as an informal volunteer “whenever the Arizona Cactus Pine Girl Scouts have reached out to me,” and was honored by the group as a “Woman of Distinction” in 2018.

With Liz Archuleta and Kerry Blume, she helped establish Troop Pearl, an adult Girl Scout Troop dedicated to assisting the Girl Scouts. “I was a Girl Scout in my youth and have tried to live the Girl Scout creed of ‘building a better world,’” Horstman said.

She has also been assisting girls in developing business skills for successful cookie drives, the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, she noted.

“The Girl Scouts are dedicated to building courage, confidence and character in girls,” she said. “The cookie drives helps to further this mission. Money earned can allow the girls to embark on wonderful adventures. These cookie drives teach the girls important financial, organizational and marketing skills.”

Horstman has assisted some scouts with perfecting their techniques and in developing a “sales pitch” for in-person sales. “Since we also live in a virtual sales world, I have reviewed some Girl Scout cookie sales videos,” she said. “Each girl has their own approach that reflects their personality. Cookie sales give the girls real life leadership experiences and provides an opportunity to contribute to the financial benefit of their troop, so that together the girls can engage in projects, travel or community programs.”

Troop 212 meets once a month for planning that includes deciding how to spend the money they earn.

For Troop 212, goals include horseback riding and travel. “We have been planning for their Costa Rica trip for five years. They set aside some of their cookie money each year, and we are going this summer. As for giving back to the community, we donate cookies to first responders. Last summer, we were able to thank the firefighters on the Tunnel Fire with several cases of cookies,” said Lober.

Girl Scout cookie season in Arizona usually runs for six weeks. The Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, which serves Phoenix as well as greater Central and Northern Arizona, began the cookie drive officially on Jan. 16, with cookie delivery closing on March 5.

The link to find cookie booths is  https://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/how-to-buy-cookies.html. QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Courtesy Photo: Madi Van Hemert, left, a 12th grader in Girl Scout Troop 212, is pictured with her sister, Peyton, selling Girl Scout cookies during the annual drive last year in front of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Flagstaff. 

Food Forest Growing with Volunteers, Sponsors, Programs

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With all the new gardeners and volunteers, we are planning to grow more food than ever before. It is a true blessing,” she said.

The launch of the Prescott Food Forest and Gardeners Of Destiny (GOD) Training Program has been a real success. In fact, the eight-week Winter Greenhouse Gardening Course is sold out and has hosted 30 passionate local residents that want to learn how to grow food.

Located at B Organic Farm, Chino Valley, the program’s first week was on Jan. 21, 2023. While it was literally freezing outside, the greenhouse was a balmy 50 degrees with the help of heaters, provided by my non-profit “Make 100 Healthy Foundation.” This allowed classes to start, regardless of the weather conditions.

The full attendance confirmed that many people want to learn to grow food, to be able to help those less fortunate to receive fresh food, even in the dead of winter. How wonderful! We have attracted many local gardening leaders to join our efforts because of the awareness that was generated from my past articles in QCBN.

Greg Eddolls of www.Foodscape.tips has taken the bull by the horns by volunteering to teach each Saturday. His main business, Tri City Computers, in partnership with Don Gordon’s DLG Recycling, has donated a refurbished 60” Flat Screen Interactive Touch Screen Educational TV and a greenhouse laptop that allows us to use multimedia and videos to reinforce the class subject manner. We are grateful for his generosity in time and resources.

Also, we are so blessed to have seasoned gardeners and passionate people, including Hoss Lambeth and Master Gardeners LeRoy Miller, Joe Rubio, Ann Smeltzer and others who have led the volunteer efforts during the week to allow for a beautiful and productive greenhouse setup. In fact, Hoss has focused on reinforcing the cinderblock raised beds with rebar and drip system redesign. This is hard work that is not for the faint of heart.

LeRoy Miller has brought his lifelong skills as a gardener to lead the ramp-up of the greenhouse to be ready to grow the Food Forest into a lush and productive place for fruits and vegetables to grow in.

Stephane Leon has been brilliant in bringing all the content together to inspire and lead the course for these aspiring gardeners; all of whom have received full scholarships to the eight-week course, thanks to our fundraising efforts and our main sponsors Lamb Cadillac and Pinnacle Bank.

The most exciting aspect of this program is the folks that have attended. We have families, couples and individuals that come each week ready to learn and apply their newfound skills, both at B Organic Farm and in their homes. Each student has committed to giving a minimum of 10 hours of volunteer time at B Organic Farm in return for the scholarship they received.

Ginny Buonaquista, the owner of B Organic Farm, is grateful for the help. “I have pretty much been on my own since COVID hit and it has limited our ability to provide free food to those in need. With all the new gardeners and volunteers, we are planning to grow more food than ever before. It is a true blessing,” she said.

How can you get involved? First, we are always seeking volunteers to help tend to the garden. If you have three or four hours a week to give, we have plenty of work for you to do. We have a volunteer scheduler on our site: prescottfoodforest.com or call us directly at 928-899-1341 for more Information.

What’s next? We are in the process of offering a Spring Garden Growing course, starting in April, and we are working on a summer boot camp program for children and families alike to teach them the skills to be able to grow healthy and nutrient dense fruits and vegetables.

This effort has been a testament to the tenacity and commitment of many local people to give our community the skills and insights on why growing food is so important. Thank you to all who have been a part of this incredible journey, which is just starting to scratch the surface of our full potential. I am humbled by the outpouring of support and encouragement.

Let’s keep growing! QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy, Make 100 Healthy/ Realtor.

Academy of St Martin to Perform in the Fields Performs in Prescott

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YSA to host the orchestra with soloist Avi Avital.

An Oscar-winning English chamber orchestra is coming to Prescott, with a groundbreaking international soloist and a program of Bach and Dorman to herald the approach of Spring. The Yavapai Symphony Association welcomes the Academy of StMartin in the Fields, with guest soloist Avi Avital, Tuesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center.

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, led by music director and virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell, is one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras, renowned for fresh, brilliant interpretations of the world’s greatest orchestral music. Founded in 1959 by John Churchill and the legendary Neville Marriner – and named after the location of its first performance – the Academy of StMartin in the Fields is one of the most-recorded chamber orchestras in the world, with more than 500 releases in their discography. Their soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film Amadeus reached No. 1 in the Billboard Classical Albums chart and remains one of the most popular classical music recordings of all time.

Their program for the evening – which includes Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor and Walton’s Sonata for Strings – will feature the remarkable talents of internationally acclaimed mandolinist Avi Avital.

The first mandolin soloist ever nominated for a classical Grammy, Avital’s virtuosity on the instrument has drawn comparisons to Andres Segovia and Jascha Heifitz. The 45-year-old Israeli’s passion and dexterity in performance have made him a driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin. More than 100 contemporary compositions have been written for him, as he continues to bring Classical, Baroque and folk music on the mandolin to public attention. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center – as well as in Beijing and Berlin. The New York Times dubbed Avital “explosively charismatic” onstage.

The Academy of StMartin in the Fields, featuring mandolinist Avi Avital, will perform at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon Street, in Prescott. Tickets are $45 to $65, and only available by contacting the Yavapai Symphony Association at 928-776-4255. For further information, please call the Yavapai Symphony Association or visit: www.yavapaisymphony.org. QCBN

Yavapai Symphony Association Remaining 2023 Schedule:

The Academy of StMartin in the Fields …………………………. Mar. 7 at 7 p.m.

Sarah Chang……………………………………………………………… Mar. 26 at 3 p.m.

Les Violons du Roy …………………………………………………….. Apr. 30 at 3 p.m.

The Curtis Symphony Orchestra …………………………………. May 16 at 7 p.m.

Courtesy Photo

Yavapai College to Offer Business Bachelor’s Degree

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Students will pay $155 per credit for in-state tuition. There are no textbook charges and no associated student fees.

During a Jan. 10 press conference, leaders at Yavapai College (YC) announced the intent to launch a new business degree program, the first baccalaureate degree in Arizona to be offered by a rural community college.

Approval of the new degree process is in the final stages of review. If all goes as planned, the new degree program will begin accepting student enrollment as of April for classes that will begin with the fall semester.

YC President Lisa Rhine emphasized that the degree was created to meet the needs of people in the county and to offer a life-changing opportunity within reach. “It’s more than just a degree. It is accessibility to business owners who need flexible training options and skills to increase sales and expand experiences.”

“I believe this is a positive step forward,” said Yavapai County Superintendent of Schools Tim Carter. “Community colleges are uniquely placed in the higher education structure to meet real issues at local levels. Universities need to be more global and philosophical in their approach, while community colleges are working to meet identified educational needs with local partners.”

Prescott Unified School District Superintendent Ron Howard agreed. “For years, Prescott teachers have wrangled with the conundrum that our kids have to leave town after high school. They often do not have the opportunity to live in their hometown for their own career and family. This degree is a huge step to help Prescott be that generational community we have longed to be.”

Humboldt Unified School District Superintendent John Pothast says he is excited for the students. “One of the problems with education in general has been access, and how realistic – or challenging – it is for someone to simply be able to get access to the education they need. This is a significant step forward for anyone living in rural Arizona.”

“It’s gratifying that Chino Valley graduates will have a more affordable local option for a baccalaureate degree,” said Chino Valley School Superintendent John Scholl. “We are hopeful that YC will consider a degree in education to help us address the teaching shortage in the area.”

A Focus on Management and Leadership
When the Arizona Legislature passed Senate Bill 1453 a year ago, Rhine said the college was thrilled to receive the authorization. “We have been at the forefront of the lobbying effort for SB1453. We knew how much impact it can have in our county,” she said.

Rhine explained that the new degree is designed for continuing students or those who have associate degrees. It is offered entirely online and can be completed in the traditional four-year pattern for a full-time student at 30 credits a year. It also can be completed through eight-week classes.

Students will pay $155 per credit for in-state tuition. There are no textbook charges and no associated student fees.

Once final approval is granted, registration for classes can begin April 17. Classes won’t officially begin until the beginning of the fall semester on Aug. 12.

“This is a modern, high-quality degree. The curriculum will be 120 applicable credits specifically designed to help students achieve career success,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Diane Ryan, who noted the work it took faculty and staff members to make the degree a reality. “We are elated for the opportunities that students now have.” QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Application forms for the new program can be found at yc.edu/bachelordegree.

Photo by Kay Lyons: YC President Dr. Rhine, Governing Board Chair Deb McCasland and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Diane Ryan announced that the business degree program is designed to graduate effective managers and leaders.