The Farm at South Mountain was created in the 1920s, although back then it was divided into two-acre parcels of land and sold with the purpose of promoting self-sufficiency. Now, The Farm has three restaurants, health and wellness centers, a doctor’s office and an artist’s studio.
“So really you could live here,” says Nikki DeHerra, The Farm’s event planner.
The Farm always has events going on during the weekends, including outside yoga on Saturdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. All levels are welcome for $12 until May 22nd. For those who prefer to get in touch with their spiritual side via food, The Farm also has a farmer's market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Maya's Farm, an organic garden toward the back of the property.
"She provides a lot of produce for not only the restaurant but a lot of local companies," DeHerra says. "She does farmer's markets and all kinds of festivals, and you can actually just go buy produce on the weekends."
Since the one thing The Farm doesn’t have is a hotel, though, guests will have to get by with just making a day out of visiting Phoenix’s “hidden gem.”
“It’s not just a restaurant, and it’s not the movies where you see it and then your day’s over,” DeHerra says. “You can have lunch, have dessert, have a couple iced teas and really relax out here.”
The three restaurants include breakfast at Morning Glory Café, lunch at The Farm Kitchen and dinner at Quiessence.
DeHerra says The Farm tries to keep all of its food seasonal and local. The food comes from the organic garden onsite, as well as local gardens in Arizona. “Everything tastes a little bit different because it’s fresh and you can really taste it in your food,” she says.
Even though the fresh food at The Farm is a big attraction, there’s much more to do than just picnic in the 100-tree pecan grove. There are farmer’s markets, art classes and seminars, a gift shop that showcases jewelry and designs from local artists and a spa that offers massages, facials and acupuncture treatments.
There’s always a lot going on at The Farm, and DeHerra says she thinks that’s the beauty of it. “Maybe you have lunch in the back of the property, you go home, then you come back again next week, and you find something new,” she says.
DeHerra says visitors don’t necessarily want to come and experience everything at once. “You want to experience things at a different time – when spring is here, when winter’s here,” she says.
Nikki Behrens, a mathematics and economics junior, says she visits The Farm about once a month. “I can’t get enough of it,” she says. “My mom and I have been going to The Farm since I was a kid.”
Behrens says she loves the atmosphere. “It is pet-friendly, so I can bring my dog, go for a walk on The Farm and enjoy a delicious breakfast,” she says. “Their omelettes and French toast are particularly delicious.”
DeHerra says The Farm is meant to be that place of serenity. “A place where you can come and relax, and where you’re not bombarded by too many people.”
If you go... 6106 S. 32nd St., Phoenix. 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. 602-276-6360, thefarmatsouthmountain.com.
Contact the reporter at charlsy.panzino@asu.edu.
