August of 2018, I spent a week in Tucson, AZ to produce a multimedia piece for a Pinkbike.com series called Local Flavors. In the lead up to my week in town, and indeed throughout my stay, I spent the vast majority of my time working with Tara and Art Alcantara of Homegrown MTB and TORCA (Tucson Off Road Cycling Advocates). There are not enough words to express my appreciation and gratitude towards them for all they were able to help me with. From logistical management of various photo shoots and interviews, to their extensive knowledge of Mount Lemmon trails and Tucson culture, and of course their commitment and resolve to help their community by advocating and growing the sport of mountain biking for all, it was clear to me in my short time with them that Tucson and the surrounding mountain bike community have a real commodity in these two people. The combined sense of professionalism with a very approachable friendliness made them instantly endearing to me personally, and their understanding of the value of big picture narrative along with nuanced detail from trail to trail left me feeling incredibly confident that I was in the best hands during my trip, and when it came time for me to say goodbye, I knew that my trip to Tucson to hang and ride with Homegrown would only be the first of many moving forward. Tara, Art, and the rest of their crew are brilliant examples of stewardship and advocacy done right.