Mortimer Farms

Fall Harvest Brings Families to Mortimer Farms

October 2, 2023 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Pumpkin Festival is the biggest event of the year.

Mortimer Farms has sweet corn and 50 types of pumpkins available during its month-long Pumpkin Festival in October. While the festival is every day, there are more events on the weekends.

Mortimer Farms has 54 vegetables and fruits growing at various times of the year. Mortimer also has an area where visitors can pick their own. In addition, Mortimer has a greenhouse for growing fruits and vegetables all year. Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are plentiful in October.

All of the events are for people of all ages.

Marketing Director Ashley Mortimer says the Pumpkin Festival is their most popular event of the year. Visitors get to see a working farm and there are extended events and outside vendors during the weekends.

“There is a lot to do, and this is a time for adults to act like kids. We’re family-friendly. That’s what we’re all about,” she said, adding that she enjoys seeing people pick the fruits and vegetables off the vine.

“The closer it is to the vine, the more it amplifies the taste and it makes it more personal,” she said. “It helps guests connect with food. A lot of our ingredients are grown on the farm.”

Kids also love the farm animals that include chickens, cows, horses, donkeys and goats. A scenic pond is home to ducks and turtles.

“We provide the setting to help people connect with farm animals,” she said.

On Friday nights, there are barn dances. Weekend evening activities include a fire dancing show, lumberjacks racing with logs, and highfliers in a motocross demonstration.

All rides and shows are included in the admission price.

The Mortimer Farms Market and Deli is a popular stop, with the farm club sandwich being a local favorite. Some customers buy the cucumber relish that comes on it.

“The relish is so good, with tomatoes and onions in it,” she said.

Mortimer leased the land in 2010 and was able purchase it in 2020.

Her dad, Gary, owned Mortimer’s Nursery and a cattle ranch. Today, Ashley and her parents (Sharla and Gary) all work the farm, ranch and nursery together, with the ranch providing the beef and pork that is sold at the farm.

“We all partner with Mother Nature,” she said.

Mortimer Farms is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, with extended hours on weekend nights.

Mortimer also hosts weddings and corporate parties. QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Photo by Stan Bindell: Ashley Mortimer says the Pumpkin Festival is their most popular event with activates for all ages. “There is a lot to do and this is a time for adults to act like kids! she says.

Straight to the Table

August 26, 2021 By quadcities Leave a Comment

“For us, it is a privilege to host this event at the farm and help support the business community and the Chamber of Commerce.”

The Prescott Chamber of Commerce Farm to Table Experience is being presented and organized by the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, with Dignity Health as the main sponsor. Mortimer Farms, the host organization, speculates that this, the fifth year for the event, will be the largest and most successful yet. The experience is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Sep. 18, or Monday, Sept. 20, if it is rained out on Saturday.

Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sheri Heiney said this year will feature an expanded Business Expo for firms and organizations from throughout the Quad Cities. “We’re delighted to have a wide range of respondents from the greater business community participate in this unique event. They view the afternoon and evening as a memorable way they can share information about their business enterprises, while at the same time enjoy an informal and generally non-traditional way of greeting old friends and making new ones.”

Mortimer Farms Chief Marketing Officer Ashlee Mortimer, daughter of Mortimer Farms owners Gary and Sharla Mortimer, said they are already receiving inquiries from all over Arizona about how soon people can buy tickets.

“So many folks want to enjoy a business expo in what amounts to a rural environment,” she said. “They can order a complete meal, from salad to main course to dessert, where all the seasonal ingredients have been harvested that very day. That’s what our four hand-picked chefs are planning – that everything will be crisp, fresh and wholesome.”

Mortimer Farms Head Chef Brett Vibber has enlisted three other well-known chefs – David Duarte, Ken Davis and Paul Beatty – all with different specialties to help prepare food for several different stations, each with a distinctive culinary appeal such as Italian, Mexican, American and the like.

“But what makes it special is that all the food being served is truly farm to table. The chefs have hand-created menus based on what is in season at Mortimer Farms. In fact, it will be that morning that we hand-harvest all the ingredients we will use to create an event that is dedicated to the entire community,” said Mortimer. “For us, it is a privilege to host this event at the farm and help support the business community and the Chamber of Commerce.”

She explained that her parents both grew up on farms. When the opportunity came up that they could buy the ranch and farmland where Mortimer Farms is currently located, they jumped at it. They opened the food store in 2010. Growth since has exceeded expectations. “We are so blessed to be in such a supportive area.”

“This is a way we can thank everyone and express our appreciation for all that people do to make the greater Prescott area what it is,” said Heiney.

She noted that guests will have not only freshly prepared food but also live entertainment, exhibits where they can stroll around, hayrides, games and activities for all ages of children. Later in the evening, everyone can gather for s’mores and fondue next to campfires. There will also be wine-tasting opportunities.

Tickets are $50 for adults and $20 for children and may be reserved ahead of time. For more information, call the Prescott Chamber of Commerce at 928 445-2000. Mortimer Farms is located at 12907 E. State Rt., in Dewey. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Hungry, Impoverished Benefit from Harvest

August 12, 2016 By quadcities Leave a Comment

The “Help Feed the Hungry” campaign delivered by Yavapai County Food Bank and Mortimer Farms is back. It was so successful last August that the two entities agreed to expand the philanthropic effort to two days, Aug. 27-28, this year.

The fundraiser will center on the second annual Sweet Corn Harvest Party at the intersection of Hwy 69 and State Route 169 in Dewey, the home of Mortimer Farms.

Thousands of people from throughout the region are expected for the harvest weekend, which features all things corn.

Admittance fee is $3, plus at least two non-perishable food items per person. Kids 3 and under are free. So is parking. Monetary donations for the food bank are also welcomed.

“We were overwhelmed by the generosity and the positive public response we had to the one-day fund-raiser last year, so we were thrilled when Gary and Sharla Mortimer suggested we expand it to two days this year,” said Ann Wilson, executive director of the Yavapai County Food Bank.

It did not hurt that Martha Stewart Living magazine mentioned Mortimer Farms in its July-August feature, “Best Things to See, Eat and Experience from Coast to Coast.” Circulation for the publication is estimated at more than two million.

“We think that having Mortimer Farms and its activities mentioned in a national magazine will appeal to people who otherwise would never have heard of Yavapai County and the Quad Cities,” Wilson said.

Last August, case after case of food was contributed. “We had lots of monetary donations, too,” she said. “We made sure that everything was dedicated to helping feed the hundreds of needy families who visit the food bank.”

Something Corny for the Entire Family

From the minute people enter until they exit, they will be surrounded by corn motif and corn attractions. “Folks who want to can take a hay ride into the corn field and pick their own ears of corn to bring back for roasting. They can enter several corny competitions, too – corn eating, corn shucking, corn-tossing – and they can win prizes,” said Cecelia Jernagan of Mortimer Farms.

“We’ve some special attractions for kids, too. There’s the Farm Animal Kingdom, the pony rides, the straw maze, a farm slide, a corn bath and a colorful tractor-drawn barrel train,” she said. “For older kids and adults, we’ve got roping dummies, various competitions, tractor displays and a bunch of vendors. Of course, there’s plenty to eat at the Farm Store.”

Photo opportunities where families can capture memories of visiting an old-fashioned farm are unlimited, Jernagan says, plus a special harvest meal with everything made from scratch.

Giving Back to the Community

The cooperation between Yavapai Food Bank and Mortimer Farms reflects a philosophy.

Though they own the 350-acre farm, the Mortimers for years have sponsored events and activities that benefit those in need. For instance, last October the Mortimers dedicated a 15-acre corn maze to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Through the years, they have shared their bounty with schools and other charitable organizations.

The same is true of the food bank. In operation since 1992, it is a non-government funded 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. Along with food, it provides clothing, shoes and more to qualified applicants throughout the county.

“For the past several months, especially since the economy dropped, we’ve been trying to help the hungry, especially families, with basic food needs,” Wilson said. “Most people don’t know it, but a lot of people are in need. Any given week, we provide help for 600 or more families. We’ve had days when we’ll see as many as 200 people who need food.”

The five paid staff members and 60 or more volunteers keep busy. “We are the biggest philanthropic food distributor in Yavapai County. We give tons – literally, tons – of food to low-income families. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Mortimer Farms on the upcoming Harvest Party,” Wilson said.

The food bank is located at 8866 E. Long Mesa Drive in Prescott Valley. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; extended to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Food distribution hours are 3-5 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays; and 1-3 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

By Ray Newton, QCBN

For more information about Mortimer Farms visit mortimerfamilyfarms.com or call 928 458-4729. Information about the Yavapai County Food Bank is available at yavapaifoodbank.org or 928 775-5255.

Photo by Ray Newton

Thousands Expected for Pumpkin Festival

October 1, 2015 By quadcities 1 Comment

Yellowed cornstalks rustle and crackle in the mild fall breeze.

Hundreds of people scramble across furrowed fields to take advantage of an October harvest.

Where?

Mortimer’s Family Farms, at the intersection of Hwy 69 and at State Route 169 in Dewey.

It is estimated an 18,000 to 20,000 visitors will wander through pumpkin patches and corn fields. They will also see farm-fresh produce: tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and, of course, beef and poultry.

Many visitors will relish the trip as a two- or three-day vacation. They will stay in campgrounds or nearby hotels and motels or with friends and eat at local restaurants as well as at the Mortimer Farm food vendors. They will spend a lot of money.

Primary attractions during the annual Pumpkin Festival are the 25-acre pumpkin patch and 15-acre cornfield maze, says Sharla Mortimer, who owns the 350-acre family farm with her husband, Gary.

“We’ll have visitors from Central and Northern Arizona and from throughout Arizona and the Southwest drive up for a fall fling on the farm,” Mortimer said.” We’re always stunned by the number of families who bring kids and grandkids to see a real working farm.”

“One husband and his wife and their three kids told me that they think farming must be in their DNA, for they have been coming up for years,” she chuckled.

Pumpkin Festival 2 — A popular ride for children visiting during the annual Pumpkin Festival is the barrel ride. Photo by Ray Newton

She says staff members at the farm track ask where visitors are from, and thousands come from the greater Phoenix area. But hundreds come from adjacent states. Some are from foreign countries throughout Europe, Asia, and Latin and South America.

What Do You Do with 100,000 Pumpkins?

She told of one family from Denmark who was in New Mexico and had seen something about the Pumpkin Festival on TV. “They rented a car and drove over here just to see it.”
She continued, “I’ve had parents tell me they came from farming and ranching backgrounds but their kids had never seen something growing in the field. That’s why they bring them up here. We’ve had three and four generations deep of families visit.”

Parents take kids, especially younger ones, into the pumpkin patch and let them “…pick their very own pumpkin to take home to carve for Halloween. Some take two or three, and they range from ‘minis’ up to 100 or 150 pounders.”

Mortimer estimates that more than 100,000 pumpkins are in the patch.

She said they would sell about half of them. That leaves another 50,000 or so of the cultivar of the squash family on the ground, though.

What happens to leftover pumpkins?

After the festival, farmhands string electric fence around the field and turn cattle in, according to Buzz Fornier, a farm employee and 20-year resident of nearby Humboldt.

Fornier described the cattle feeding as “…. something to see. The skinny cows come in, stomp on the pumpkins to shatter them and then gobble ‘em up like candy. Those cows will gain two pounds a day.”

Cornfield Maze is Unique in Arizona

For the past five years, the Mortimers have dedicated a 15-acre patch of corn as a maze, the kind where people wander through the eight-foot tall cornstalks in a meandering puzzle. In fact, Mortimer says, three mazes are designed into the cornfield.

She explained, “The smallest maze is intended for little kids and takes only a few minutes to navigate. The second maze is for older kids – pre-teenagers, usually. But the big maze is complicated. You can wander around it for 45 minutes or so.”

What makes the maze unique is that it has been created on a computer by a design firm in the Midwest. Viewed from overhead, it is an intricate image commemorating an event or a specific site.

This year’s image, when viewed aerially, is that of a rectangle. At the very top, carefully spelled out in two lines: Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Under that is a stylized image of a nurse kneeling beside a wheelchair-bound child holding a teddy bear. Under that is Mortimer Farms.

“We chose that maze design this year because several years ago, physicians at Phoenix Children‘s Hospital saved our then-nine-month old son’s life. We wanted to thank them with our maze,” Mortimer said.

Two years ago, the maze commemorated the 19 Prescott firefighters who lost their lives in the Yarnell fire.

Visitors often ask, “How did you create that complex maze?”

Fornier explained, “Once we get the GPS design, we walk through the cornfield when it is 12 or so inches high. We spray an herbicide on the corn where we want the maze paths to be. The corn rows next to the paths then grow, creating the complex maze.”

Fornier frequently steers the 1939 International Harvester McCormick Farmall tractor pulling a hayride wagon during educational farm tours.

Rewarding Fall Activities Appeal to Visitors

Beyond wandering in pumpkin patches and cornfields, visitors of all ages can participate in a variety of activities. More than 50 Mortimer Farm staff members, many of them teenagers from the immediate area, direct guests to various attractions. The Farm Market Store and Grandma’s Kitchen are favorite stops for everyone.

For Kids:

Farm animal petting zoo
Pony and calf rides
Farm slide and bounce playhouse
Barrel train
Straw maze and corn bath

For Teens:

Hay rides
Live music
Roping dummies
Climbing wall
Mutton busting

For Adults:

Live entertainment and barn dance
Tractor pull
Family hayrides on tractor-drawn wagon
Local craft vendors

“We feel honored to be able to share our historic farm – one of the best in Central Arizona – with visitors,” Mortimer said. “We want people to know about agriculture and crops, so we try to teach what real farming is all about. Most of all, we want to help people create some meaningful family memories of an Arizona fall.”

Festival Dates & Hours

Oct. 2-4 Fri-open noon; Sat & Sun-open 9 a.m.

Oct. 9-12 Fri-open noon; Sat & Sun-open 9 a.m.

Oct 16-18 Fri-open noon; Sat & Sun-open 9 a.m.

Oct. 23-25 Fri-open noon; Sat & Sun-open 9 a.m.

Oct. 30, 31-Nov. 1 Fri-open noon; Sat & Sun-open 9 a.m.

Admission–$15 per person; Children 2 and under-free

Graphic caption:
The master design for the intricate 15-acre cornfield maze honors the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. (

Photo by Ray Newton Suggestion—turn this image into a cornfield green color

Locavores Increasing in Quad Cities

July 17, 2015 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Prepare for thy appetite to be whetted.

Tomato, avocado, arugula, cheese and ginger aoili. An egg sunny-side up. Served open-faced on an English muffin – homemade.

All ingredients fresh and/or local. Say hola to the Southwest Sunrise. Say hola to The Local.

“We’re both creative. I love to bake; he loves to cook. We’re a good team. We’re very collaborative,” said Sheryl Strong, who, with chef Rob Mackey, owns and runs a new breakfast diner with a twist.

“We source as much local as we can,” said Strong. “It’s difficult to do, it’s cost-prohibitive. We do strive for no GMOs and as little processing as possible. We use as much organic as we can,” including milk products and a fair-trade special blend from Prescott Coffee Roasters.

Strong and Mackey embrace the L-word: Local.

“We get our eggs from Nowhere Farms in Kirkland, produce from Whipstone in Paulden and Mortimer Farms in Dewey, meat from Kelly Beef in Williamson Valley, bacon from a pig farm in Phoenix,” Strong said. “It’s nitrate-and hormone-and antibiotics-free and I think the pigs are happy there.”

“We get produce from Peddler’s Son, a private organic farm in Phoenix,” chimed in the chef. “And organics from Costco,” added Strong.

Their professional ties date to 2008, when Strong owned Prescott’s Firehouse Kitchen and Mackey was chef. Their paths separated after Strong exited the industry.

“About three years ago, I played the ‘restaurant game,’” she said. “What would I do if I had a restaurant, what would I call it? Not that I ever wanted one at that time. I came up with the name The Local. I just liked it. ‘Let’s go to The Local.’ It sounded hip, fun, cool. It had nothing to do with local food at the time!”

Fast forward. Strong and her former chef reunited at The Local, which opened April 23. It has been a smashers – uh, smashing – success from the start. Smashers are a menu item. Sweet potatoes or Yukon Golds (with bacon, cheese, green onion) served “open-faced” after pressings by, as the name suggests, a potato smasher.

Mackey, a Scottsdale Culinary School graduate, has been cooking since he was 14. He loves it, particularly creative plating. “I was taught that you eat first with your eyes. People love the place. Quality and flavorful food in a fun atmosphere with colors that are inviting and fresh. They pop.”

Along with the Southwest Sunrise, Huevos Rancheros, Tamales and Eggs and Flat Cakes (“super-skinny pancakes”) sell like, well, hotcakes.

Speaking of which, do not skip the syrup! “We make our own using real maple syrup, then we doctor it up.” Strong will not reveal those secrets, only: “We’ve heard it called crack syrup and magic syrup. We’ve had people drink it out of the pitcher!”

Because folks have a hard time finding the location, she emphasizes that it is 520 West – not East – Sheldon. The Local is in a strip just east of the Grove Ave./West Sheldon St. intersection.

Like Strong, Shanti Rade credits increased public information and awareness with blossoming numbers of locavores. Rade, with husband, Cory, are the forces behind Whipstone Farm in Paulden. They have been with Prescott’s Farmers’ Market since its inception in 1996 and currently serve on its board.

There are several benefits of locally-grown foods, she says.

One is freshness and nutritional value as a result of reduced travel time. “Vegetables degrade in nutritional value over time. If something takes a week to get from across the country to your grocery store and to you, the nutrient value decreases.”

Another is season. “At the Farmers’ Market now, you won’t see corn or watermelon or foods that come later in the season. Now, we have leafy greens and peas and beets. In spring, you eat leafy greens that detox you from winter when you didn’t have as many vegetables.

“We’ve lost track of seasonal eating because today you can get anything all year long in grocery stores.” Consuming foods in harmony with their season returns us to our deeper nature and teaches pleasures of foods at their peak in flavor and nutrition.

Rade cites economic benefits too. “Eating local keeps your dollars circulating locally. Supermarket employees spend their wages locally but store profits are going somewhere far away. It’s really important” to nurturing that flow between farmers, ranchers and small-business owners and community.

Rade admits farming’s challenging, particularly in our hot, dry climate. Some foods do not thrive (fruits), and some do (peppers). Cultivators who learn the tools and stick it out find a receptive audience willing to pay for quality – and education!

“There’s always something to be learned that’ll bring you back, even if you’re not a committed locavore. At our booth alone, you’d probably see 10 vegetables you’ve never heard of, like rainbow-colored carrots, watermelon radishes, purple mustard greens, tatsoi [a leafy green], foods you won’t see in a supermarket.

“We give samples and ideas on how to prepare them. I’ve customers who bring ME recipes!” said an enthusiastic Rade. “It’s give-and-take where everybody’s learning. You don’t have that experience at a grocery store. It’s a valuable way to connect not just with your food but community.”

Like Strong at The Local, Rade finds customers uncomplaining about added costs of local/organic products because they want quality, nutritional value, flavors, freshness and foods free of pesticides, excessive sodium and preservatives. Rade added, “The farmers market accepts food stamps and is involved in the WIC program. As market organizers, we’re well aware of trying to make good food accessible to everybody.”

Pressed to share her farm favorite: “Asparagus. The season’s fleeting so enjoy it when it’s there!”

She adds this morsel: “When you get asparagus from stores, it’s a little white and tough on the ends because during harvesting, they cut it a little bit under the ground. When we pick it, we snap it right above the ground.”

The result? “The entire stalk’s tender enough to eat.” Food at its natural finest! QCBN

The Local, 520 W. Sheldon St., #4, Marler’s Square, Prescott; 928-237-4724. Open daily except Wednesdays, 7 a.m.-2.30 p.m.; www.facebook.com/thelocalprescott

Whipstone Farm; 928-636-6209; info@whipstone.com; www.whipstone.com.

For hours and locations of Farmers’ Markets in Prescott and Chino Valley: http://prescottfarmersmarket.org; info@prescottfarmersmarket.org; 928-713-1227

By Gussie Green

Photo1 caption:

It’s bigger than a red radish but smaller than a watermelon. Why, it’s a watermelon radish displayed by Shanti Rade, who, with husband Cory, runs the Whipstone Farm in Paulden. The farm that began at half an acre is now 15 acres thanks to a burgeoning demand for local and/or organic eats. “We pour everything into the farm, we have no life!” she quips — and they love it. Whipstone Farm is also a longtime vendor at Prescott’s Farmers’ Market.

Photo by Gussie Green

Photo caption:

Chef Rob Mackey and Sheryl Strong encourage you not only to eat, but to eat well! Eating clean and eating local are the inspiration and guiding principles behind The Local, a Prescott diner specializing in unique breakfast items like a breakfast pot pie and Dutch cakes, all from scratch. Behind the two owners is a wall signed by 117 contributors in their Kickstarter campaign that helped officially (kick)start The Local in April.

Photo by Gussie Green

Mortimer Farms

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