Two years ago today, I read an article in The Arizona Republic about a suburban farm. The Simple Farm is a mere four miles from my house, on Cactus Road. Perfect, I live off Cactus Road! I cut the article out with the intention of checking out the farm later that summer. The Simple Farm is only open to the public on Thursday mornings and at the time I was in the middle of my summer session of kid’s cooking classes.

Classes ended that year in mid-July. I never made it to the farm, not after classes ended, not for the rest of 2012 or all of 2013. I’d drive by, although never on a Thursday morning, and think, “I need to plan a visit!”

What is it that keeps a person from doing something they have every intention of doing? Is it just me, or do you do that too? Is everyone like this or do I have a problem? I am a procrastinator, I know this. But two years?!?

Anyhow, Sheila called me last Thursday and asked if I wanted to meet her at The Simple Farm. I honestly could not go that morning, but I asked her to ask me again next week. Next week was yesterday, and I finally made it to The Simple Farm. It will not be the last time! It is a charming slice of the country in the middle of the city – Simply Wonderful!

Part of the wonderfulness is that they raise goats. Big goats.

Sweet little baby goats!

Of course they have chickens.

They love their chickens.

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Guess what I got to do on Friday morning?!?  I got to go on a private farm tour! So how did this lucky event come along for me?  As usual, it’s all in who you know. 

I met Jennifer Woods back in October 2011, when Peggy and I attended that super cool dinner at The Accidental Yard – CLICK HERE to read all about it. Jennifer is a full-time mom to Patrick who is 5 and two-year-old Gretchen (pictured above), a contributor to Chow Bella (CLICK HERE to read just one of the nice articles Jennifer has written about me), and the Marketing Manager for Crooked Sky Farms. Yeah, Jennifer has a full plate!

Anyhow, Jennifer emailed me a week or so ago and asked if I’d like to tour the farm. Would I? Heck, YES!!  There was supposed to be a group of us but the others rescheduled (maybe because they looked at the forecast and noticed that Friday’s high was supposed to be 112 degrees!).  So I met Jennifer and her two adorable, outgoing, well-mannered, articulate, farm-enthusiast kids at the farm at 8:00 AM.

We jumped in the Gator, which looked something like this, but without the hay in the back, and headed out into the fields.

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