About Us
Our History
The future of our communities begin with the roots we grow today.
From visionary beginnings to the emergence of programmatic impact, our organization has been driven by community, place-based action, our values of resilience and regeneration, and the vision of a more vibrant future.
From our foundations to where we are today:
Like a plant, our organization grew from strong roots. SVIR was founded in 2015 as the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience by Aimée Christensen and a group of passionate local leaders. They aimed to strengthen our community by identifying regional threats and leveraging policy leadership, public engagement, and community investments to turn risks into opportunities and build enduring quality of place.
In 2013, Ali Long founded the Local Food Alliance, with a mission to ensure the security and consistency of a year-round food economy and build the community that arises from consumers knowing the people who produce clean and nourishing food for their families. In 2016, the confluence of the Sun Valley Institute and the Local Food Alliance drove the understanding that transforming food systems has immense power to address all aspects of resilience.
In 2025, SVIR became Future Roots to focus our resources and energy on the impact food and agriculture have on community resilience. Our aim is to affect positive change in our regional food system to further our mission to build healthier, more vibrant, and more resilient communities —now, and for the future.
Below are select milestones from our history. As we enter the next decade of our work, we bring a renewed mission, vision, and name—while staying deeply rooted in the core values and purpose shaped by our community's strengths and needs.
Our organization was envisioned and founded by these passionate local leaders:
Pia Saengswang Ayliffe
Andrew Castellano
Aimée Christensen
Ann Christensen
Shelly Cohen
Harry Griffith
Wendolyn Holland
Dean Holter
Rick LeFaivre
Ali Long
Werner Morawitz
Andy Munter
Lila Preston
Alan Richardson
Jason Scott
Celebrating our 10-year anniversary by reimagining our brand identity by renaming ourselves - Future Roots. Our name change reflects the organization’s focus on the regional food system as a major driver for resilience in southern Idaho.
2025
2024
NourishMe in Ketchum signs the first Local Food Procurement Policy. With the help of our team, the local grocery store and café commits to local sourcing year-round.
2023
Launched the first school composting program at Hailey Elementary School. With our guidance, students lead efforts to divert over 6,000 tons of food waste from the landfill every month.
2022
Our staff co-chairs the Land & Water Conservation Task force of the 5B CAN, Blaine County's Regional Sustainability & Climate Program a partnership between the cities of Ketchum and Hailey to build on past accomplishments and create a new era of collaboration.
Capital deployed to two more businesses, funding a micro-dairy operation and a USDA inspected meat processing facility in southwestern Idaho. Led a three-part series at the Hailey Public Library about high desert gardening.
2021
The first Meet Your Farmer event is held virtually and features two local farms discussing their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. These events connect local shoppers to the people growing their food.
SPROUT Kits are launched as an at-home educational program for 4-10 year old's and their families. Kits contain hands-on activities that increase food literacy. Information and activities are provided in Spanish and English.
2020
Patient, flexible capital is provided to two businesses through the Impact Idaho Fund. The funds target the buildout of regenerative, sustainable and renewable practices related to food and farm, land, water, and energy use.
The first annual Locally Grown Guide is published, featuring detailed listings for over 80 regional farms, ranches, restaurants, retail stores, and food artisans. The Guide serves to connect local food businesses with shoppers and diners throughout the Wood River Valley.
Through the Blaine County Food Council, we hosted a Farmer-Buyer Meet & Greet to connect chefs and restaurant owners to farmers and ranchers offering a variety of products within our regional food economy.
2019
The $5 for Farmers campaign mobilizes over 280 shoppers to spend at least $5 per week on regional food, resulting in more than $72,000 pledged to local purchases in this year alone.
2018
We collaborated to host the first two Blaine County Resilience Workshops. More than 100 community leaders in government, nonprofit, business, and education gathered to identify the top risks facing our county and craft potential solutions.
Our organization commissions the Community Food System Strategic Plan. The plan, created and presented by Crossroad Resource Center in 2019, brought stakeholders together to work for a common purpose and showcased opportunities for transforming the Wood River Valley’s food system.
Local Food Alliance hosts the first Elevated Table dinner, The Wood River Valley’s premiere farm to table experience and fundraiser. Local chefs create a four-course wine-paired meal using the freshest local ingredients, served in the field at area farmers.
2016
Sun Valley Institute and Local Food Alliance merge, adding regional food system development into the matrix of resilience issues addressed by the organization.
Through Solarize Blaine, we increased solar deployment by 500% in a single year through our solar adoption program. $80,000 is leveraged to catalyze $1,000,000 in clean energy investment in Blaine County.
2015
We hosted the first Sun Valley Forum to bring together leaders, innovators, and change-makers across sectors to create a better future for all. The Forum surfaces the strategies, technologies, business models and financing that can power the urgent transformation of our energy and food systems, restoration of nature and revitalization of communities across the globe.
Through Local Food Alliance, we coordinated the Blaine County Food Council, a grassroots, multi-stakeholder group devoted to strengthening our regional food system. BCFC invites all Blaine County residents to participate in our efforts to cultivate our community-based food system.
Launched in September 2015, Wood River Valley HarvestFest brings together residents and visitors for a weekend of local food and fun. Local Food Alliance presents this annual event as a way to implement our mission to create a resilient community-based food system.
In response to devastating wildfires, the Sun Valley Institute is founded by Aimée Christensen and a formative board of community leaders and experts. The Institute aimed to strengthen our community by identifying regional threats and leveraging policy leadership, public engagement and community investments to turn risks into opportunities and build enduring quality of place.
2013
Ali Long founds the Local Food Alliance to create a robust local food system in the Wood River Valley. Local Food Alliance encourages people to “vote with their forks” for a more regionalized food system. Early efforts include school food initiatives, food hero profiles, awareness raising resources, and a monthly newsletter.
We are extremely grateful for the support and guidance provided by the Sun Valley Institute Advisory Committee.
Scott Cloutier
Gary Dirks
Lexi Dupont
Shelley Fidler
Elizabeth Funk
Kate Geagan
Paul Hawkin
Jae Hill
Katherine Himes
Peter Horton
Kristin Hull
Nina Jonas
Danny Kennedy
Joel Makower
Langley McNeal
Steve Meineke
Sarah Michael
James Newcomb
Wendy J. Pabich
Raúl Pomares
Brooks Preston
Herbert Romero
David Sandalow
Larry Schoen
Jason Scott
Larry Schweiger
Michael H. Shuman
Peter Sims
Michelle Stennett
Alessandro F. Uzielli
Harry Weekes
Julie Ann Wrigley
