About Us
Our Focus and Priorities
We envision a world where people and planet are nourished by locally grown food.
Our Mission
Local food. Lasting impact.
Our mission is to transform the food system of southern Idaho by connecting people to local food and supporting regional farmers, ranchers, and producers committed to sustainable, regenerative, and humane practices. Through this work, we strive to build healthier, more vibrant, and more resilient communities —now, and for the future.
Strategic Priorities
How we produce, access, and consume food is key to increasing a community’s resilience and self-sufficiency. Our focus to break down the systemic barriers to regional food accessibility is led by these priorities:
Connect – Bridge Communities
We bring people together to collaborate, share resources and best practices, and build stronger food systems that improve health, wellbeing, and resiliency.
Fund – Invest in Change
We support farmers and ranchers with funding, programs and resources that drive long-term, sustainable transformation in our regional food system.
Educate – Inspire Learning
We help youth and community members discover where their food comes from (and goes to) — and the impact of prioritizing foods grown using regenerative and sustainable practices on our ecosystem and wellbeing.
Facilitate – Cultivate Resilience
We support building strong, local food systems through networking and advocacy that can adapt and thrive — especially through climate, economic, and social challenges.
Replicate – Expand Impact
We scale proven solutions by growing and sharing successful models, projects, and innovations to reach more people and communities.
Transforming what it means to source and eat local
Our History
Today we are known as Future Roots with great respect for our founder and our roots in resiliency initiatives. Sun Valley Institute for Resilience (SVIR) was founded in 2015 when Aimée Christensen and other local and global leaders 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.
Let’s Build More Resilient Communities Together
Learn About Our Work
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