singh farms

We've lived in our current home for 5 1/2 years and, despite the fact I finally overcame the sensory overload of driving in The Valley and learned my way around, we only recently discovered this amazing place:  Singh Farms in South Scottsdale.

Why do I love it?  Peruse the pics and you'll see why:  when you're there, you are miraculously transported out of the desert and into a peaceful, organic oasis.  Yes, yes, I realize I live in a desert and, yes, I'll admit the desert is an amazing and beautiful place...once you leave the sprawl of The Valley.  But this place is about as urban as you can get.  It's located within spitting distance of the Loop 101 and 8 lanes of traffic whizzing by at 75 mph.  Thousands of people speed by it every day and, frankly, I kind of get the feeling they like it that way.

There's virtually no signage, they don't have a website, and, unless you're lucky enough to hear of it via word-of-mouth, or you're lost in The Valley and happen to exit at Thomas Road and wander on to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation, you'd never know it was there.  It's secreted away beneath a somewhat conspicuous cluster of lush, green trees in an otherwise nondescript location.

And you can only hope you stumble upon it between 8 a.m., and 1 p.m., on Saturday; the only day of the week they're open to the public.

If you're that lucky, you'll find some of the best seasonal, organic produce in The Valley...and bread, and jams, and dips, and hummus, or maybe you need compost or mulch, or just gardening advice, or maybe you're looking for a quiet place to go read a book, or have a cup of organic juice or coffee.

As a native Michigander, fresh produce is something I used to take completely for granted.  So I'm never more frustrated than shopping at my local grocery store only to discover my "fresh" Brussels sprouts are already starting to mold.  Story of my life!  We've been to Singh Farms twice, recently, and I suspect we'll return more regularly now we know it's here at our fingertips.  

Now, if I could only figure a way to keep it a secret from the other three and one half million people in The Valley who haven't yet discovered it!!

With love from The Valley of the Sun.