In the heart of Arizona, The Farm at South Mountain stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of genuine farm-to-table dining. Established over four decades ago, this unique establishment continues to flourish where many similar ventures have faltered.
Spanning 10 acres and featuring three distinct restaurants, The Farm attracts approximately 100,000 visitors annually to its location south of Southern Avenue on 32nd Street. Farm Manager Hanita Knudson, who holds a degree in sustainable agriculture, passionately leads the operation, emphasizing the importance of local, healthy food options.
Knudson, who joined The Farm in January after nearly a decade in agriculture, expressed her commitment to connecting people with their food sources. “It’s all about being connected to your food, to know where it comes from, to know what’s going in the soil,” she explained. “And to know how it’s being cared for instead of going and buying something that came from a place super far away and you have no idea what you’re eating.”
The farm cultivates a variety of crops such as corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and eggplant, alongside numerous fruit and nut trees. As summer approaches, harvests decrease, prompting The Farm to collaborate with other local farms to supply fresh ingredients to its restaurants.
Anna Ehrick/Cronkite News
Knudson acknowledges the importance of cooperating with local producers, stating, “We can’t just depend on ourselves, so it’s also cool that we are able to be conscious of still purchasing from local places that can produce much more, which is important because we need each other.”
The property’s three restaurants each offer unique dining experiences: Morning Glory Café for breakfast, The Farm Kitchen for lunch, and Quiessence for dinner. Quiessence is particularly noted for its authentic farm-to-table experience, as it receives priority access to The Farm’s produce.
These dining venues are crucial for The Farm’s financial viability. “If you talk to any of the older farmers around here, it’s really hard to just suffice off produce,” Knudson noted. “The Farm has a long history of being a farm, and thankfully our restaurants garner multiple sources of income to keep it a farm.”
Alongside The Farm, Steadfast Diner in Mesa exemplifies another successful model of farm-to-table dining. Opened earlier this year, it was developed by Executive Chef Derek Christensen, who has maintained a long-standing connection with Steadfast Farm.
Christensen, like Knudson, is driven by the desire to make sustainable, high-quality food accessible. “There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but what we’re doing with Steadfast Diner is saying that you can have the same quality ingredients, this true farm-to-table experience, but in a casual manner that’s literally for everybody,” he explained.
The diner sources its produce directly from Steadfast Farm, including turnips, radishes, beets, tomatoes, and cucumbers, while its beef is sourced from Capital Farms in Wickenburg.
Christensen highlighted the unique nature of farm-to-table dining: “When you get to walk by this beautiful farm and see all the veggies growing, the lettuce, carrots and greenhouses, you’re building this preconceived notion of freshness and locality before you sit down. It’s this idea of a restaurant supporting a farm, a farm supporting a restaurant.”
For patrons like Karlee Guzman, who discovered The Farm at South Mountain during a wedding, supporting local agriculture is a key draw. “You’re supporting local farmers,” she said. “Produce hasn’t been sitting on shelves or picked when it wasn’t ripe just so it can sit in a store. I think it’s great that it’s from the community, directly from the property.” Despite higher costs, Guzman values the farm-to-table experience, stating, “I’m willing to pay more for that type of experience because I know what I am getting.”
Anna Ehrick/Cronkite News
For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
—
Read More Arizona News
