Shared Vision

The Food/Agriculture Collaborative is a loosely coupled collaboration of organizations and individuals who have contributed much to support the growth of Food/Agriculture on the Navajo/Hopi nations over many years. We are working to expand this circle supporting the common theme of fostering a Food/Agriculture economy. Our shared vision includes:

1. Growth in the number and size of Navajo food producers (farmers, ranchers, value added).

2. Growth of a Food/Ag economy, while maintaining culture and traditions.

3. Growth in the number of Navajo points of sale and related other foods sales/donation

opportunities.

4. Growth in the use of Navajo foods by all levels of Navajo government, non-profits and

schools.

5. Increased support for the Food/Ag economy/businesses by the Navajo Nation government

and pivotal Federal and State entities.

6. Collaboration among stakeholders on the Navajo Nation, that are active in

various segments of the food supply chain.

View Our Priorities

Emergence Group developed a guide that informs the Food/Agriculture Collaborative's priorities and efforts in 2024.

Download

The Collaborative Model

The Collaborative came together in June 2022 with a series of convenings to identify a shared vision and a set of initial priority areas for work for the first year.

emergence - navajo food network_edited.j

The Model of Engagement represents each of the member organizations as a distinct circle with a place around a Talking Circle focused on growth of food/agriculture on the Navajo Nation. Each organization has their own distinct focus, goals, networks, and communication links which operate independently.

Members agree on collaborative work and share knowledge and networks to further the priorities and receive insights for their own work from the group.

Collborating Entities

The collaborative is an alliance of member organizations representing:

Businesses – Growers, ranchers, value-added businesses.
Food/Agriculture Advocate Organizations
- Food/Agriculture Training Organizations – Organizations that provide knowledge to small business, agriculture startups, farmers, ranchers and schools.
- Organizations - that do or can complete the supply chain from producer to consumer.
- Distributors – formal and entrepreneurial.
- Food/Agriculture Policy Organizations – Organizations and governments positioned to identify, initiate and implement relevant policy.
- Food/Agriculture Nutrition Interests – Non-profits providing options for access to learning about and supplying nutritious foods for children, elders and all Navajo.

We hold the view that it is a win-win for us to pool some of our individual resources and that together we will have a better opportunity to achieve what we each want to achieve and also further the work of the Collaborative.

ToohBAA - Toohnii Binaneest'ą' Ałtaas'éí Alliance - Shiprock, NM

ToohBAA is a Grower Cooperative in the Shiprock Area with 20+ growers with access to 10K acres. ToohBAA organizes local farmers to optimize farming capacity to address food insecurity in New Mexico and regional Indigenous communities. ToohBAA's focus is on revitalizing concepts of ancestral food systems merged with modern day practices.

Hohzo Voices of Healing Center - Borrego Pass, NM

The Hozho Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The Hozho Center's aim is to support a living, sustainable Diné community on approximately 1,722 acres of traditional Diné homeland under the stewardship of an Indigenous, matriarchal board of directors. www.hozhocenter.org.

Coffee Pot Farms - Dilkon, AZ

Coffee Pot Farms is a 36-acre farm located in Dilkon, Arizona. The farm was started on the belief that “food is the first medicine, as it comes from Mother Earth, and that food sovereignty is the critical first step to creating healthy communities and healthy families. www.coffeepotfarms.com.

Shush Povi Farms, an L3C Farm - Ismay, UT

Shush Povi Farms is an intertribal indigenous family farm located deep in McElmo Canyon on Dinétah. Cara Dukapoo, owner of the farm, is also the Director of Community Programs at Nááts'íilid Initiative where “We strengthen the cultural and economic resilience of Dine’ah people through self-reliance initiatives in the built environment.” For more information search the following social media handle: @shushpovifarms.

Dragonfly Farm – Goat Springs, AZ

Dragonfly Farm is an emerging producer utilizing Indigenous methods and philosophy. Jayden Willeto uses her experience in botany and permaculture to assure her farm embraces culture and best practices.

Yee Ha’ólníi Doo DBA Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund – Flagstaff, AZ

Expanded into economic development programming and support through Innovation Hubs on the Navajo Nation. These Innovation Hubs will close disproportionate equity gaps in communities by fostering local changemakers and problem solvers and rebuilding stronger, autonomous local economies and food systems using local ingenuity and talent. www.navajohopisolidarity.org/.

Diné Food Sovereignty Alliance – Church Rock, NM

DFSA is a non-profit organization working on restoring the traditional food system and foods on the Navajo Nation, in addition to researching and educating on the issues and gathering solutions for true food sovereignty.
Our Navajo Food Policy Work Group is focused on improving and creating policies that will increase production and community access to local, fresh, and healthy Navajo traditional foods on the Navajo Nation. For more information email stargazergloriabegay@gmail.com.

IndigeHub – Provo, UT

IndieHub's mission is to empower Indigenous communities through culturally informed, sustainable solutions that prioritize self-sufficiency and long-term success. Creating lasting prosperity and equity for all, one “hub” at a time, is their mission. www.indigehub.org.

Nihikeya Group identified by Robert Nutlouis - Pinon, AZ

Collective responsibility to create a regenerative ecological footprint.

Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment - Gallup, NM

COPE strives to promote healthy, prosperous, and empowered Native communities through three collaborative approaches: Robust, community-based outreach; Local capacity building and system-level partnerships; and Increasing access to healthy foods. www.copeprogram.org.

Dineh Chamber of Commerce – Window Rock, AZ

Dineh Chamber of Commerce assists in Diné policy and small business advocacy and support organization. The Dineh Chamber of Commerce was created to provide a voice for Navajo-owned businesses to create positive working relationships with businesses, organizations, and governments doing business on or near the Navajo Nation. www.dinehchamber.org.

Pinnacle Prevention – AZ Statewide Organization Supporting Growth in Food/Ag production

Pinnacle Prevention is dedicated to cultivating a just food system by offering training, consultation, technical assistance, research and evaluation, advocacy and policy support, community engagement, and community-based programs. www.pinnacleprevention.org.

Leadership Circle

The Leadership Circle supports the work of the Collaborative by crafting and executing its Projects. Collaboration, and engagement skills, are combined with management, documenting change and communication.

Research Specialist

Thimmaiah (Tim) Appachanda PhD.

Tim plays a pivotal role in analyzing the food and agricultural practices of the Navajo Nation and Hopi tribes for Emergence Group.

His work focuses on developing sustainability metrics that harmonize native culture with agricultural practices, ensuring a respectful and inclusive approach to environmental stewardship.

He is also furthering our understanding of what will best move Navajo producers forward through gap analysis.

Tim is a seasoned sustainability leader with a comprehensive 20-year background spanning the corporate sector, governments, NGOs, and multilateral organizations across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. An expert in sustainability, he specializes in leveraging de-carbonization through voluntary carbon markets, sustainable agriculture, circular economy practices, policy development, and the integration of traditional knowledge systems to address challenges of food, agriculture and climate change.

Navajo and Hopi Food Systems Advocate

Cara Dukepoo

Cara is the Diné (Navajo) Food Systems Advocate with Emergence Group. In this role, she explores the context and goals of Navajo and Hopi growers and develops resources for addressing their needs.

She is a Diné (Navajo) woman of the Coyote Pass People clan, born for Water's Edge Clan. Her maternal grandparents are the Bitterwater People Clan and her paternal grandparents are the Mountain’s Edge People Clan. She is also an adopted daughter of the Tewa Bear clan and her name is Osa Povi.

Cara is an avid rez gardener and is currently revitalizing her family farm, Shush Povi Farms, L3C. Her lived experience as a Diné woman combined with over 20 years of administrative work experience in Tribal Governments, Higher Education, Tribal Colleges and Tribal Radio, provides a unique perspective and insight to her work as Director of Community Programs with Nááts'íilid Initiative and her role with Emergence Group.

Cara earned an A.A. in Social Sciences from Diné College and also a B.S. degree in both Sociology and Applied Indigenous Studies from Northern Arizona University.

Communication Specialist

Shae Noel Claw

Shae supports Emergence Group with her expertise in virtual communications including conceptualizing and implementing communication and resource platforms for Collaborative partners and the national audience.

She has earned her A.A.S in General Studies and Human Services from the University of New Mexico. She is finishing her B.S/M.S. in Community Health Education/Public Health at the University of New Mexico.

Shae Noel Claw is a Dine woman, and she is originally from Lukachukai, Arizona which is on the Navajo Nation.

"Our vision sees culturally aligned, documentable growth of Navajo and Hopi communities through education and support for the needs of currently active and emerging farmers and ranchers."

Vision Statement

Back to the Top