Behind the Scenes ...
- mortimerfarmsaz
- Mar 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 26
Connecting your family to your food.
In this email, we’re excited to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what we’ve been up to over the last couple of weeks here at Mortimer Farms.
Farming is a dying profession, but it remains essential for the survival of all. Mortimer Farms is the last farm of its kind in our area, and every day we fight against the odds—working long hours, sometimes 12-16 hours a day—to protect this land and the food it provides. We are passionate about our mission to preserve agriculture and bring fresh, local food to the community.
As a special thank you for being part of our journey, we’ve hidden a fun giveaway in this email! You’ll have the chance to win two free tickets to our upcoming Farm to Table Dinner! We can’t wait to celebrate with you and share the magic of Mortimer Farms.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to what’s ahead!
It is ASPARAGUS season! The first crop we start harvesting outside each spring!
We grow 54 different kinds of crops here at Mortimer Farms. Each one has its own way of telling us it’s ready to be harvested—some change color, some feel just right, and others smell perfect! Because we grow such a wide variety of fruits and veggies, we don’t use machines to harvest. Every single crop is picked by hand with care, ensuring the freshest, best-quality produce for you and your family! As we are starting to feel the warmth of spring, we are so excited that our main growing season is right around the corner!
Most of the green on the farm right now is in the greenhouses! Counting down the days until we can plant in the fields, but so grateful for the warmth and life our greenhouses provide in the meantime!
At Mortimer Farms—and farms and ranches across the country—the welfare of our animals is at the heart of everything we do. Our animals are treated with the utmost care, respect, and honor.
Looks like winter but feels like summer. 71 degrees today!
At our Market & Deli team meeting, we discussed the items growing in the greenhouse and how they are harvested. Some plants, like carrots, are harvested by removing the entire plant from the ground. In contrast, crops like lettuce are cut, leaving the roots in the ground to continue growing. For tomatoes, the plant and vine remain intact while the tomatoes are carefully picked from the plant.
Mortimer Farms is the last of its kind in our area. Farms across America are dying, selling, and turning into asphalt. Our profession is dying. America’s ability to feed our citizens is closer to extinction than ever before. It is our profound responsibility to protect the food supply in America. How can we do this? By connecting our guests to the story of their food. One guest at a time. One misconception at a time. One fear turned into hope at a time. Farmers and ranchers are passionate, loving, caring, and they are feeding the world! We are sharing their story and our story with you! We are helping guests feel and be confident that the food they are feeding their family is safe, healthy, and grown with the utmost care, dedication, and respect! Respect for the animals, the land, the water, the soil, and the communities we are feeding. This is the why!
Magic! We love sharing the magic of farm life with you!
I cannot wait for the farm to be lush and green! We are getting closer to spring, summer, and fall! My favorite time of the year at the farm!
Winter is all about preparing. We are training, working on soil health, planning how to best execute the main growing season, cleaning, installing irrigation and plant beds, pruning, caring for our permanent crops, and growing food in the greenhouses. Today we were firing on all cylinders and are going home feeling accomplished.
Here’s the reality: DOGE efforts are not a threat to our food supply.
A federal funding pause is not a pause on farming or growing food. We are still farming!
There are many challenges that put farms at risk—development, rising costs, regulatory pressures, and many others—but a federal funding assessment isn’t one of them. Farmers and ranchers across the country are still out in the fields, still caring for the land, and still producing the food that feeds us all.
The best way to protect our food system isn’t through fear (so much misinformation circling about this topic)—it’s through supporting the people who grow our food, understanding where it comes from, and staying connected to the farms that sustain us.
No matter what happens in Washington, there will be food on grocery store shelves, at farmers’ markets, and right here at our farm.
The first weddings of the season were a huge success!
Mortimer Farms is the venue you didn’t think you would find—the one that is both awe-inspiring and affordable. From the moment you step onto the farm, you’ll feel the magic in the air. The sweeping views, the charm of a real working farm, and the warmth of a place that feels like home.
But it’s more than just a venue. When you book your wedding here, you’re not just reserving a space—you’re becoming part of our family.
And like any good family gathering, food is at the heart of it all. Our farm-to-table meals are crafted with love, using fresh ingredients grown right here on the farm. Family recipes, passed down through generations, bring people together in the best way—around the table, sharing flavors that are simple, wholesome, and unforgettable.
At Mortimer Farms, your wedding isn’t just an event—it’s an experience. One filled with meaning, connection, and memories that will last a lifetime. So come on in, take a deep breath, and let’s start planning a day that is uniquely and beautifully yours.
MAKING MULCH!!
For over 30 years, we’ve been turning organic material into rich, composted mulch using microorganisms (those tiny but mighty beneficial insects) and moisture. This process transforms biomass into a soil-boosting resource—perfect for cropland, gardens, and improving soil health. The result? Soil that holds water better, is packed with nutrients, and supports stronger, healthier plants.
Decades of diverting material from landfills and upcycling thousands of tons into something that gives back to the land. That’s sustainability in action!
Garlic has sprouted.
We have been dreaming of hosting a Farm to Table Dinner in the greenhouses for two years—and for the March Farm to Table Dinner, it finally happened! We loved to welcome guests into this one-of-a-kind dining experience, surrounded growing crops and the magic of the farm at the sold out March Farm to Table Dinner. A dream two years in the making!
As the sun set, live music filled the air, conversation flowed, and the connection between food, the land, and the people who enjoy it came to life. It’s more than just a meal—it’s an experience that brings together the simplicity of farm-fresh ingredients with the magic of sharing a table. Thank you to all those who joined us for the March Farm to Table Dinner! It was a pleasure to serve you and share this special meal with you!
April’s Farm to Table Dinner menu is live here: https://www.mortimerfarmsaz.com/FarmtoTable
You could say we are a fan of bees! The Market & Deli is now carrying Honey Caramels and Beeswax Birthday Candles from @anellabees!
We also carry:
Desert Wildflower Honey!
Orange Blossom Honey!
Arizona Mesquite Honey!
Chocolate Honeycomb!
Honey Granola!
Honey Almond Soap!
Honey Habanero BQQ!
Honey Sticks!
Jalapeño Honey Mustard!
And more!
The greenhouses!!
We pushed all the manure we spread on the fields into the soil, and it’s officially go-time. The soil is nutrient-rich and in the perfect condition to start forming beds. We’re shaping rows and starting to sow onions—it’s starting to feel like spring!
It’s lambing season at the farm! From late February to early April, we give extra love and care to our ewes and their newborns. Spring is on its way—and it starts with new life!
Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring about the story of your food. Thank you for supporting our family, our team, our farm, and Arizona agriculture!
** Tag a friend, who would love the farm, in our most recent post on social media and tell them why Mortimer Farms is special to you. This will enter you into the drawing for two Farm to Table Dinner tickets! We will draw the winner in a few days.
Mortimer Farms, a real working farm, open seven days a week.
Connecting your Family to your food!
The Heart of Mortimer Farms
We believe in being stewards of this planet and its resources. We believe in practicing smart and sustainable farming techniques. We believe that community and connection are at the heart of a good life. We believe in extending kindness, thoughtfulness, and hospitality to all we meet. We believe in embracing change and improving daily. We believe that experiences are far more valuable than things and that spending quality time together is the very best way to spend our time. We believe in discovering beauty, marveling in it, and savoring every moment.
We believe in preserving and honoring the importance of agriculture. We believe that as we share our story, we are also sharing the story of Arizona and American agriculture. We believe food is the thing that connects us all. We believe it’s time for the pendulum to swing back to the basics of slow food, shopping local, scratch cooking, gathering together, and buying directly from the farmer. We believe in “connecting your family to your food”.
This is the heart behind Mortimer Farms and the principles that drive us in all that we do.
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