The Local Co-op

John Benedict moved to McNeal in 2018 and founded Desert Sky Produce in late 2020. Seeing the need for stronger local food access and better outlets for small farmers, ranchers and producers, he went on to co-found The Local Co-op.

His community work has included produce-prescription programs, the McNeal food bank, the Cochise Mobile Market and Cochise Farm to School, connecting local agriculture with food access, education and community health.

Jillian's farming journey began in 2021 while volunteering at the Seven Arrows Recovery community garden. She later leased her own plot and began sharing what she grew at the Bisbee Farmers Market.

After apprenticing with local farms and learning both the art and science of sustainable agriculture, she began building Likha's Veggies into a thriving 2-acre farm focused on feeding the community.

Saudi and his family operate Lutu Muhammad Farm, a first-generation family-owned produce farm focused on lettuce and salad greens, herbs and grains.

According to the farm's Local Co-op profile, they do not use synthetic pesticides and do not plant non-GMO seeds, reflecting their focus on producing food they consider pure, clean and nourishing.

Weidenthal Family Farm began as a small backyard operation in spring 2020 with Pekin ducks and Jumbo quail. It later expanded to 20 acres near the San Pedro River in Sierra Vista.

The family focuses on regenerative agriculture and is developing a 2-acre permaculture orchard. Ducks and chickens graze among the orchard rows, while heritage pigs help clear low shrubs in areas planned for future expansion.