The Vegetable Growers News

Carrie and Mark Schnepf stand by their train with their daughter Hayden.


Arizona Growers Transition into Full-time Entertainment Farming

Build up part of a business by downsizing another part. Carrie and Mark Schnepf from Schnepf Farms outside of Phoenix, Ariz. successfully navigated those waters by phasing out of commercial growing and building an expansive agriculture entertainment operation. Two festivals, a Peach Festival in May and a Pumpkin and Chili Festival in October attract upwards of 60,000 people. They have a 250-acre site set aside for concerts for over 100,000 people. They host school groups for educational tours and cater company picnics for 200 to 3,000 employees. Their grounds include a country store, bakery, carousel, an area for pig races, children’s play area and a train that takes visitors through an organic garden and orchards. “We’ve been going gangbusters,” said Carrie. For four years now they’ve been totally out of commercial farming. She said they made the decision to transition out of commercial growing several years ago and turn to agricultural entertainment. “We see this as a very good future. Now we work hard or harder. We work nonstop to put events on. It’s difficult but a lot of fun. I think it’s worth it,” said Carrie. Every year they build more attractions. This year they’re building a Witch Mountain - a big house with a slide, and an additional play area for kids. The Schnepfs’ growing operation began in 1941 when Mark’s grandparents, Jack and Maude, bought a patch of desert and started growing cotton. Mark’s parents, Ray and Thora, diversified the farm in the early 1950s and began growing potatoes for potato chips as well as dried onions, lettuce, melons and other vegetables. They expanded their acreage in the 1960s. “In the mid-1970s the farm economy started going south. We began a massive downsizing continuing into the 1980s,” said Mark. In the early 1970s the Schnepf operation included 5,000 acres, almost all of which was double cropped. In the 1970s they were shipping fruit, mostly apricots, all over the world. They also grew specialty lettuce, table grapes, broccoli and other vegetables. During harvest upwards of 400 people helped pick and harvest the vegetables. Then they also grew lots of potatoes, 1,000 semi trucks per year, and grew wheat that was sold to Russia. “In our area agriculture is just not economically viable mainly because of the water costs,” said Mark. He said they still use wells and water from the Colorado River that is pumped and transported across the state and delivered by ditches and canals. Electricity costs for pumping wells are high. He said his deepest well is 2,000 feet while his water table is 450 feet. They have grown peaches for the last 25 years and continue to grow peaches and apricots today. The Schnepfs grow five different desert varieties of peaches including Springcrest, Early Grande, Florida Prince, Florida King and Early Treat as well as the Poppy and Katy varieties of apricots. In the 1970s the Schnepfs sold off land and stopped leasing other land and started their first direct marketing venture with sweet corn and vegetables. Since opening a country store in 1980, they came to rely more on the crops sold at the market, Mark said. “In 1988 we decided to hold more special events,” said Mark. The first one was a 4-H Day at the Farm that grew and became more successful each year. They soon added a Potato Festival in May that took place during fruit picking season. Soon after Carrie and Mark were married, she took over organizing the festivals and events. Mark said one of their more profitable events is the Pumpkin and Chili Festival because of the volume of people (30,000) that visit their place in October. Visitors are entertained at this evening event with spooky train rides, pig races, spooky story telling, characters in costume, and areas for making scarecrows and pumpkin decorating. Their most well-known event is the Peach Festival where more than 10,000 people visit their farm each of the two weekends of the festival in May. “I think people love the idea of coming out to the farm and love the idea of peaches grown in Arizona,” said Carrie. Mark said that they are one of a few peach growers in Arizona and peaches are relatively easy to grow. Visitors come back every year for their peach pancakes and as many as 25 different products made with peaches, according to Carrie. Their peaches bloom in February and are harvested in May. “In the Phoenix area there are a lot of great restaurants and they all want our peaches,” said Mark. All of their peaches are sold to restaurants or through u-pick. The Schnepfs also grow and sell trees to landscapers. “With the exception of trees, we grow and sell everything directly to consumers,” said Mark. He said phasing out of commercial growing and developing the direct marketing has been a “rocky transition” due to the different equipment needed and different time periods. “We’re still working on where best profit centers are. I don’t believe in this business you’re ever completely finished,” Mark said. He said many of their entertainment ventures also educate the public such as their pig races, where visitors learn about the rare breed of pigs used. Their narrow gauge train goes through the middle of an organic garden and orchard when there’s time to educate visitors about growing fruit and vegetables in Arizona. The Schnepfs have been involved with the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) for the past five years. Mark said they’ve used ideas including the pig races and train rides from other growers after going on NAFDMA tours of other farms. They take part in a NAFDMA tour every year, he said. Carrie is the current vice president and board member of NAFDMA. When they first started ag entertainment, Mark said he didn’t realize how big they could get. “We thought we were the only people in the world doing it,” he said. Through NAFDMA he found out otherwise. He said he appreciates the blanket insurance coverage for all of their events that they are able to buy as NAFDMA members that is more cost effective than what they had to purchase before. Schnepf Farms now employs 10 people full-time and up to 80 others during their busy times. They use non-profit groups and like to hire older high school students and other employees. “It’s always a challenge finding help. People want to work full-time or they don’t want to work at all,” he said. Mark said that growers considering direct marketing must enjoy dealing with the public. “I think it’s essential. Dealing with grumpy people and giving people a positive, good experience all the time can be very draining,” he said. His advice to would-be marketers - “Figure out what you really like to do and what you’re good at and what the public would enjoy. Start small and build.”