It's just about peach season here in Arizona and with our push to buy local, it's time to head out to Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek for some awesome peaches.
Schnepf Farms is a local farm that features U-Pick fruits and vegetables from September through June. The entire farm is 300 acres with 100 acres dedicated to fruit trees and seven acres to U-pick vegetable gardens. They do not use pesticides and everything on the farm is 100% renewable. As with any farm, availability of crops is weather-dependent. With the wet weather we've had, nature is providing a bumper crop of fruits and vegetables.
Schnepf Farms is currently getting ready for their peach picking which runs in May and June. They have five varieties of peaches, all of which are fabulous. This year, the U-pick price for peaches is $1.75 a pound. You can also purchase peaches that are already picked for $2.50 a pound in the Country Store. No time to get out to the farm? You're in luck. This year they are offering peaches at Vincent's Farmers Market at 40th Street and Camelback in Phoenix as well as some local Sprouts markets.
Besides peaches, they also have apricots (avail mid-May), plums (avail end of May and June) and apples (avail in June). Vegetables are available according to seasons as well. To know what is currently ready for picking, look at their website at Schnepf Farms. Fruit and vegetable availability is updated daily. Fresh vegetables run approximately $1.50 per pound while U-pick fruit is $1.75 per pound.
Schnepf Farms is family friendly, so you can bring your kids to various events held at the farm. To honor the peach season, they have a peach festival which runs the weekends of May 8/9 and May 15/16, 2010. They have other seasonal festivals, too. In October 2006 Schnepf Farms was designated as an "Arizona Treasure" by the Governor Janet Napolitano and Arizona Office of Tourism.
While you are out at the farm, stop in their country store and bakery. You can also attend one of their dinners at the farm or even a farm tour.
You can contact Schnepf Farms at 480-987-3100, via e-mail at schfarm@gmail.com or you can follow them on Twitter. Also become a Facebook fan of the farm.
If you would like to try one of Carrie Schnepf's peach recipes, see Peach Pie recipes.
For other recipes and articles see Mesa Food Examiner. Better yet SUBSCRIBE to Mesa Food Examiner by clicking on the SUBSCRIBE button at the top of your page. It's FREE and SPAM FREE.
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