Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Mortimer Farms a real working farm in Dewey, Arizona.


General Farm Questions

Is smoking allowed?

No, due to food safety this is a drug, vape, and smoke-free property.

Are pets allowed?

No, due to our food safety practices pets are not allowed at the farm.

Is outside food or drink allowed?

No, outside food and drink is not permitted due to food safety practices. During your visit you will experience farm to table meals. Each meal is made to order and is grown and plated with you in mind.

Are babies and toddlers free?

Two-year-olds and younger are free.

What is your rain or shine policy?

We have no control of the weather. Once you purchase a ticket to the festivals, please enjoy the day. We do not offer refunds due to weather, canceled performances, activity changes or even non-performing animals. However, you are welcome to request for your ticket to be rebooked. To do this, please respond to the confirmation email you received with the date you would like to visit instead.

Hold Harmless:
With your admission you understand that your participation and involvement in the farm activities carries with it the potential for certain risks, some of which may not be reasonably foreseeable. You further acknowledge that these risks could cause you or others around you, harm, including, but not limited to, bodily injury, damage to property, emotional distress, or death. You are a willing participant in the farm activities. By entering, you agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Mortimer Farms, as well as all their employees, agents, representatives, successors, etc. from all losses, claims, theft, demands, liabilities, causes of action or expenses, known or unknown. If you choose to file claim, you agree to pay all court and attorney fees needed for proper defense.

What forms of payment does Mortimer’s except:

We accept credit, debit, and cash.

Who is Mortimer Farms

Mission

Connecting your family to your food.

Vision

To preserve and honor the importance of agriculture and community.

Core values

-timeless family traditions

-stewardship

-conservation and sustainability

-marveling in Earth's beauty

-community

-human kindness

-daily improvement and learning

Objective

We celebrate timeless traditions, family, community, farm to table experiences, marveling in the beauty of the Earth, and growing nutrient-rich food using sustainable farming practices.

Manifesto

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.

Market & Deli

Is admission required to enter the Market & Deli?

Admission is not required to enter the Market & Deli.

What is the Market & Deli?

Mortimer Farms Market & Deli is everything you love about a farmer’s market, open seven days a week, rain or shine. Our specialty farm to table market offers a fresh and friendly take on grocery shopping, where connecting to the story of your food happens naturally.

Year-round The Market & Deli is stocked with our staples. We will always have vegetables, greens, herbs, milk, butter, bread, beef, pork, jarred items, coffee, pasta, & more! Admission is not required to enjoy the Market & Deli.

What is your refund policy:

All sales are final. If you are unsatisfied with the produce, deli/bakery item, or an item in our freezer/fridge section please notify us and we will replace the item.

Where is the produce sourced for the Market & Deli?

Produce found in the Market is grown at Mortimer Farms in our fields and our greenhouses. What we aren't harvesting at a specific time/season is sourced from other AZ farms. We grow 54 crops every year. Our main growing season is May through the beginning of October (depending on the weather).

Where are the eggs sourced for the Market?

Our fresh eggs are laid by free range Mortimer Farms hens. The color of the egg is determined by the breed of the hen.

Where is the milk and cheese sourced in the Market?

We source milk from Danzeisen Dairy, a local dairy. We source our cheese products from the United Dairymen of Arizona.

The cattle are fed high-quality alfalfa hay, which ensures they receive nutritious forage. They prioritize the well-being of their cows by providing them with the best possible diet to keep them happy and healthy. Danzeisen Dairy and United Dairymen of Arizona are not certified organic.

Do you can the jarred items at the farm?

We do not can all the jarred items at the farm, we just don’t have the facilities to do so right now, but it is specially canned for us.

Where does your beef and pork come from?

Mortimer Farms' sister company, Mortimer Ranches, is located 15 miles from the farm. Mortimer Ranches is where all the beef, pork, and eggs are sourced for the Market & Deli and all Mortimer Farms farm to table meals.

Conserving natural resources, caring for the land and environment, caring for our animals and wildlife, and raising food is Mortimer Ranches primary purpose.

Farm Experiences

Tell us about seasons…

We grow 54 crops every year. Our main growing season is May through the beginning of October (depending on the weather). During this time, our fields are open to your family to enjoy the Pick Your Own Experience and our Market & Deli stocked with our crops. The rest of the year the crops we harvest from our greenhouses stock the Market & Deli.

The What's Pickin' page on our website is your resource to know what is available in the Market & Deli and what is available for the Pick Your Own Experience.

On the What's Pickin' page you'll also find our harvest schedule. This is an estimation of when each crop will be ready to harvest.

Is admission required?

Admission is required to enter the farm. Admission is an all-inclusive pass to enjoy the Farm Park (farm-inspired rides), the Animal Encounter, access to the pick your own experience, and the ability to explore the entire farm and connect to the story of your food.

How does admission and buying produce and berries work?

All produce and berries that you pick are paid for by the pound on your way out today. We even give you a deal on the berries when you pick them yourself (less per pound if you pick versus if we pick the crop).

Pick n' Play Pricing

When can we visit the farm?

  • The Farm Park, Animal Encounter, and Market & Deli is open all year round.
  • The main Pick Your Own Experience season is enjoyed May - the beginning of October.
  • Pick n' Play is what you will enjoy on a Farm Park and Pick Your Own Experience day.
  • Festivals and events are scheduled throughout the year. Between each festival and event the Farm Park or Pick n' Play is open.
  • Friday Night Barn Dances are enjoyed every Friday from March through October.

The Event Calendar on our website shows when each festival and event is scheduled. This is a great resource to plan your visit.

Why do you open the gates?

The average US resident has not known a farmer or grown their own food for over 3 generations. We open our gates because we feel it's extremely important to give families the opportunity to visit a real working farm, see where food is grown, how it is grown, and have the chance to experience harvesting food!

Are season passes a family pass?

Season passes are good for the admission of one person. Each family member must purchase a pass with their name and photo on the pass. Two-year-olds and younger are free. The Pick n' Play Season Pass includes all non-festival days at the farm. The Whole Kit & Caboodle Season Pass includes all Farm Park, Pick n' Play, festivals, and Barn Dance admission.

How do we pay for produce, berries, and pumpkins?

Everything you pick is paid for by the pound on the way out.

Can we come and go after paying admission?

Your admission is a full day pass to the farm. As long as you keep your wristband on you are welcome to come and go all day long.

How do we grow food

Is Mortimer Farms organic?

Mortimer Farms is not certified organic but, in many cases, our growing practices are better than the organic regulations. At Mortimer Farms, and farms around the country, our goal is to maintain environmental balance and promote conditions favoring beneficial insects and ideal growing conditions. We promote survival of beneficial insects, crop diversity, and companion planting that help beneficial insects (natural means). This pest management and disease management program employs constant field monitoring and also includes advice from pest and disease experts. Our errand is to practice smart farming that not only will provide healthy food now but will for generations and generations to come.

Does Mortimer Farms grow GMOs?

We grow heirloom and hybrid seed varieties based on growing conditions, farm location, field traits, livestock needs, local weather, taste, and customer demand. We also consider what will be most efficient when it comes to plant care, harvesting (with current farm equipment), and labor. We do not grow GMO crops at Mortimer Farms. This is not a statement for or against GMO seeds.
For additional information please reach out to mortimerfarmsaz@gmail.com.

Food Safety & Farming Practices

How do I find the best ear of corn?

When picking corn it is best to keep the husk closed and feel the outside of the corn to ensure all the kernels are full. Keeping the husk closed allows for the corn to have a longer shelf life in your home. Sometimes the very top of the corn ear is not perfect. We would be happy to cut off the top for you or you can cut off the top yourself at home and it will be like nothing was even there.

What does Mortimer Farms do to promote healthy soil and decrease erosion:

  1. Cover crops provide rotation and organic matter to stimulate healthy soil biology.
  2. Compost and green waste mulch build matter.
  3. Crop rotation buffers the buildup of soil diseases that affect each crop family.
  4. Drip irrigation lessens erosion.

How do you fertilize the crops:

  1. Fertilizer is given to each individual plant based on each plants nutrient need.
  2. Drip irrigated crops are fertilized through the drip irrigation system.

Tell us about bees…

Bees are important! They serve as pollinators for crops and native flowering plants. The bees at the farm are pollinators. If they do not feel threatened they will not mess with you.

What does Mortimer Farms do to be stewards of the environment and land:

The Mortimer Family and Team engage in many different conservation practices daily that help to preserve our environment, land, and natural resources. We take responsibility in growing food for this generation and many more to come. To do this, we must take can of our soil, preserve our water, and protect our natural resources in the best possible way. We call our practices “Grown the Mortimer Way”. They are as follows:

  1. Dirt Smart: Through crop rotation, adding organic material back into the soil, and minimal tillage we increase organic material, increase soil health, decrease erosion, and add nutrients back into the soil. All keeping soil fertile.
  2. Water Smart: We use the latest technology to preserve water for future generations. Crop irrigation systems allow us to effectively and wisely use water.
  3. Air Smart: In the past 30 years the Mortimer Team has planted more than 150 thousand trees around Yavapai County to beautify our environment while creating bee, bird, and wildlife habitats.
  4. Recycling Smart: Christmas trees from the region, leaves, manure, and other biodegradable items are recycled and turned into mulch for the farm and other gardens around the area.
  5. Animal Smart: We provide clean fresh water to our animals and wildlife at all times. A readily supply of food, mineral, and vitamin supplements are also provided to our animals to ensure health.
  6. Land Smart: Cattle are rotated to control overgrowth, lessen fire risk, and reseed native grasses. We protect open spaces through eliminating trash, and increasing conservation of ranch and farm lands.

What are some websites I can read to learn more about different farming practices?

We encourage all consumers to learn about how their food is grown and we love when they do. Here are the websites we suggest you look at.
GMOAnswers.com
AZFB.org
Beefitswhatsfordinner.com
Arizonabeef.org
Mba.beeflearningcenter.org (short online classes all about beef)
USfarmersandranchers.org
Fooddialogues.com
Bestfoodfacts.org

Mortimer Ranches

How is conservation a part of the beef and pork process?

We approach our job with conservation and climate at the forefront of our minds. As we listen to nature we maintain that symbiosis between ruminant animals and the ecosystem they have co-evolved in for a millennia.

We have a deep respect for cattle and for the beef on our table. Cattle are an incredible machine. Cattle are upcyclers (graze grass inedible for human consumption and convert it into nutritious beef). When cattle graze, they aerate the soil with their hooves, encouraging new grass to grow. As they eat, they decrease the spread of wildfire because there is less brush for the flames to consume. They spread manure, which fertilizes the soil and promotes biodiversity of the organic matter.
Ranchers are deeply connected to the land, provide safe harbor for endangered species, and keep pollinators busy. Ranchers know where the deer bed down at night, what species of flowers and songbirds signal the coming of spring, and the effect phases of the moon have on nocturnal species. Ranchers are responsible for safekeeping all the wildlife that call their properties home, caring for livestock, and they are responsible for the food we eat.

What is the difference between grain finished and grass fed?

There is no nutritional difference between grain finished and grass fed cattle – just taste preference. In both types of beef the animals are cared for just as good as we care for our kids. Whether it is grass fed or grain finished the majority of the cattle’s life is spent eating grass. Grain finished cattle are fed hay and grain for the last few months to increase marbling (taste) while grass fed cattle are only fed grass.

Is Mortimer beef naturally raised/hormones free?

Our beef is Verified Naturally Raised Beef (VNB – cannot receive growth promotants, antibiotics or animal by-products of any kind – audits are required during the feeding process), Age and Source Verified, and Non-hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC). Our beef, including all other beef in the US, undergoes an inspection process and is considered safe and wholesome before reaching your table.

Does Mortimer Farms use antibiotics?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates all antibiotic residues that can be found in foods to make sure it is under a level acceptable for human consumption. To make sure that consumer products are free from antibiotics, farmers and ranchers must adhere to a withdrawal period anytime an animal is given an antibiotic. We do everything we can to promote healthy animals: good feed, mineral supplements, clean water, etc. But sometimes animals get sick or hurt and require an antibiotic to make them better. In this instance the animal is treated with antibiotics and is taken out of our certified herd. If an animal is taken out of the certified herd the animal will go through a withdrawal period and then is sold.

As for milk - Milk is tested before it leaves that farm to assure there are no antibiotics. If tank tests positive for antibiotics, the tank is dumped at farmers expense. If a cow needs an antibiotic her milk is dumped until the withdrawal time is met.

Is animal welfare important to you?

Animal welfare is vital! We are trained, certified in and follow Beef Quality Assurance protocols to ensure our animals are taken care of properly. These trainings teach best management practices pertaining to animal handling, and animal welfare. To stay well-informed, we attend workshops regularly. It is vital to take excellent care of our animals. It’s the right thing to do.

The Mortimer Family is also open to questions about different topics you may want to learn more about. Please feel free to ask us for assistance during your visit or give us a call!