The Verde Valley Agriculture Coalition will hold a community forum on local food Tuesday, June 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cottonwood Public Safety Building at 199 South 6th St.

The event is expected to attract residents with an interest in agriculture, such as restaurant owners, farmers, local small growers and gardeners, but VVAgC Secretary Bernadette Selna said anyone who is interested in the future of agriculture in the Verde Valley is welcome to attend.

For a $15 admission price, attendees will feast on a catered lunch prepared using local ingredients and listen to a variety of speakers on topics such as urban farming, agricultural tourism, local farming, specialty crops and economic development.

Selna said the forum will be an “opening statement” from the VVAgC, a group operating under the umbrella of the Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization for more than two years but has yet to hold a public event.

For the full story, see the Wednesday, June 13, edition of The Camp Verde Journal or the Cottonwood Journal Extra.