Superstition Farm

A few generations ago, most everyone in Mesa had a relative, a friend, someone that farmed.  Now we seemed so removed from it.  The alfalfa fields by my childhood home are developed now.  To children, farms are just pictures in books.  But they don't have to be.  Mesa is still home to several working farms, and a few offer tours.  Yesterday my girls and I drove out to Superstition Farm, a dairy farm in our city.  My older girls even commented upon arrival, "that wasn't that far!"  I think they were expecting hours in the car, not minutes.  

We arrived, got our tokens and hopped right on the hayride for our educational tour, even getting a glimpse of a calf just a few hours old.  We learned about how the cows get 3 baths a day (they are cleaner than me) and that brown cows do not mean chocolate milk :) Then my girls fed the farm animals, most of which are rescue animals.  I thought the "unicorn" goat was the best.  They enjoyed ice-cream, "driving" the tractors and a horse ride.   

 
My #2 explaining to #3 that you have to have a blue token to ride (meaning numbers #3 and #4 were out of luck this time)

Someday I'm going to build me a glass bottle wall like this one.

Sometimes my life seems to get pretty hectic.  I get a little anxious trying to keep up with my 4 little (BIG) charges.  It was refreshing to take some time and literally feel the nice calming breeze as I watched my daughters ride a horse, wince at a curious cow, eat home-grown ice-cream (air-conditioning for your insides), and just enjoy the feeling of simplicity that comes out on the farm.

Superstition Farm is open from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM during May 20th, 24th - 27th and the 31st for $5 tours (cost for ages 1 and up).  They are also open Saturdays and by appointment.  Check out more tour info here.  They also offer horse lessons and a farm camp - milk a cow and become a farm hand.  

And from now on, every Thursday from 4:30-7:30 PM, this farming "classroom" is transformed into a one stop shop farmer's market. Listen to how they describe it, "You will be able to pick up your meats from Double Check Ranch, your seafood from Davy Jones Seafood, your local raw honey from Made by Bees, fresh bread from Great Harvest Bread and your salt, pepper and sugars from Go Lb. Salt! Of course, we will have fresh butter, cheese, milk and ice cream from the dairy and our free range eggs from our chickens. We will have the grill open so you can get your groceries AND eat your dinner! The petting zoo will be open, hayrides will be going and horse rides will be available as well. Bring the whole family for a full night of fun!"

Now how is that for grocery shopping!

-Kathryn