For food, fun and farm animals, check out the new SuperFarmers Market every Thursday at Superstition Farm, 3440 S. Hawes Road, just a block west off the Elliot Road exit of the 202 Freeway.
Located inside the cooled Tour Barn, local farmers, ranchers and natural food vendors offer their wares from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. And the best part, there is lots to do and see for the kids on this working dairy farm, run by the Stechnij Family, now in its fourth generation on the farm.
The free petting zoo is tops with kids and kid-like grown-ups, too, featuring baby goats, sheep, calves, rabbits, donkeys and horses. Chickens roam everywhere. For $3, you can get a milk bottle feeder and watch the ever-hungry calves jostle for a drink. Cups of dry food for the sheep and goats are only $1. A fun and educational tractor-pulled wagon hayride circles the acres of cow pens and milking areas every half hour. The on-board cowhand, complete with a bullhorn, offers a detailed explanation of the operation—$1 per rider. Rein-led horse rides are $3 each.
More free fun can be had exploring the hay-bale playground, climbing on the antique tractors, looking through the xeriscape and vegetable gardens, and watching recycling in action. In addition, garden walls are constructed of used tires and decorative creations of colorful bottles and cans are placed artfully in cement.
Getting hungry? No need to rush home for dinner. The farm grill mobile kitchen, Our Place, serves fresh-made Angus burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, smack and cheese, and other favorites. Soft drinks and locally crafted ice cream treats from Udder Delights also tempt.
For the serious food shopper, it’s a foodie paradise. There are dozens of hard-to-find items, like free-range, grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chickens from Double Check Ranch in San Pedro Valley. No hormones or antibiotics used here.
To grill that great natural meat, Go Lb. Salt offers salt planks. Season your steak with their flavored sea salts and organic peppercorns. The company also has organic cane sugars, plain and flavored.
Arizona-grown, organic vegetables and herbs fresh from Desert Roots Farm are a perfect side or main dish, accompanied by some pasta from Raging Raw Organics, or whole-grain, hand-kneaded breads from Great Harvest Bread Company.
Try a little raw Arizona honey or fruit spread from Made by Bees. There are fresh salsas, seafood, handmade truffles and tamales, natural skin care, a Moo-tique and so much more. The market is part of a local Community Supported Agriculture effort.
For additional information, contact Superstition Farm at (602) 432-6865, send an e-mail to info@superstitionfarm.com, or visit www.superstitionfarm.com, www.facebook.com/
superstitionfarm and www.facebook.com/super_farm_market.