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Requiem for an Arizona Tradition

Staring out my office window to see what 115 degrees physically looks like, my thoughts can't help but turn to cooler endeavors. With monsoon season officially upon us in the Valley of the Sun, we Scottsdale residents are greeted with the promise of the lion's share of our annual rainfall and the eventual death knell of summer. Fall can best be described in the desert as post-summer or pre-winter. A quick 1-hour jaunt up north, though, holds the allure of cool temperatures and full fledged Autumn. This year, however, while the leaves will be as spectacular as ever, and the breeze that hits our faces a crisp 75 degrees, there will be a little something missing.

Young's Farm was established in 1946 in Dewey, AZ. It's 300 acres were privately farmed for an abundance of crops and used to raise all manner of animals. In the early 1980s, the family opened the farm to the public. For 30 years, the people of Dewey, nearby Prescott Valley and fall seekers from the Valley would make the pilgrimage to an annual pumpkin festival. Other events were held at the farm as well, but the pumpkin festival was iconic. I made the trek personally most years, and was always rewarded with great food, fun and my own personal Great Pumpkin (blatant copyright infringement). There had been rumblings the last few years about water rights issues with the town. Developers wanted the land desperately, and apparently, the local powers that be were inclined to agree with the "onwards and upwards" crowd. The family eventually yielded, and held it's final festival in 2006. The farm has since closed, and the family took its pursuits to Oregon. The last two years, I was fortunate enough to have a family of my own with whom to share the experience. My son, Jack, was thoroughly mesmerized by the fiddle players, man-sized turkey drumsticks, and of course, the never-ending pumpkins. So fairwell, Young's Farm. You took a little bit of Arizona with you when you left.

Young's Farm, Dewey AZ

For Scottsdale AZ Real Estate and more local information please visit me at www.RayandPaul.com

Posted by Paul Slaybaugh, Scottsdale AZ Real Estate on 07/23/2007 12:31 PM

Comments (15)

arizona lifestyle, family, scottsdale az real estate, scottsdale az realtor, mccormick ranch real estate

Originally posted at: The Scottsdale Real Estate Files: Requiem for an Arizona Tradition

This post has been included in Arizona Information

15 Comments on Requiem for an Arizona Tradition

JUL

2007

I have to agree with you 100% Paul. I am an Arizona native and by far one of the most fun things to do is visit Young's Farm. Thanks for good post and sharing with the community.

Yeah, I loved Young's Farm, and hate to see it go. I even sold crafts there one Fall. I love anything to do with the season, and I'll miss the Farm.

JUL

2007

Thank's for commenting, Jacob and Leslie. I wonder if I didn't buy something from your craft display, Leslie? I never went home empty handed.

SEP

2007

Paul - I hadn't seen this one before. Thanks for adding it to the new group! Cute picture!

SEP

2007

Thanks Jason. Both you and Adam will be swamped with a few of my old ones simultaneously. Did some housecleaning and found some that didn't really have a home before your groups. Thanks again for opening this new avenue.

Paul - That was exactly why I thought this would be a good idea. I am happy to see you taking advantage of this already. I am planning to write a post about it tomorrow, but we already have 15 members, so that is certainly encouraging!

It will only get bigger and better. Adam's group has virtually exploded through sheer perseverance, yours will do the same. By the way, my graphic is "paco." That was my assumed name in my high school Spanish class.

I am looking to emulate Adam's methods with this group as much as it is practical. Thanks again for your friendship and support! My graphic just made me laugh, especially since I was thinking of it as a potential nickname - "goatnut".

I am not even going there, Jason!

By the way, check out this oldie but goodie when you get the chance: http://activerain.com/blogsview/153055/Don-t-they-light

I think you'll enjoy it.

PAUL: It's always sad to read about a community losing things that so many people enjoy and find comfort in its presence. I'm glad that you had the chance to experience this with your son. It's a great photo and you can talk to him for years to come about the fun that you had on that day. I am about to experience a similar feeling, but in a slightly different way, when Shea Stadium is torn down. I realize that baseball will continue to be played in the same location, but my memories are tied up inside that aging building. I am a Dodgers fan, so it isn't about the team, it's about the traditions. This is the first place that I ever went to see a game with my Dad (who has passed away). Although my son had been to minor league baseball games, his first major league game was a Dodgers game at Shea. So while others are understandably excited for the new stadium to open, I will be sad on the day that they implode the old stadium to create parking for the new stadium. Sorry for adding so much about me. The point is that I understand what you're going through. Thanks for sharing this.

Adam: That will be a sad day when they tear Shea down. We didn't have a baseball team in AZ when I was a kid, so I adopted the Mets. Doc Gooden, Daryll Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, Gary Carter, Ron Darling, Bob Ojeda, Mookie Wilson, Keith Hernandez, Sid Fernandez, David Cone ... those were my guys. I never made it to the stadium, but I will feel a little of your pain. It's like having a piece of your childhood ripped away.

Paul - I actually went back just now and read your post. I am sorry to hear of your "loss". We have a similar farm here in north Austin, which is about 15 minutes away from our house. They almost closed it a few years ago, then they just decided to dramatically scale back the hours. As for sports facility icons, they will be moving the Cowboys to a new stadium and closing Texas Stadium in two years' time. While I am looking forward to the new stadium, I want to attend one more game at the old stadium for nostalgia's sake.

Jason, Isn't Texas Stadium relatively newer? I remember all of the excitment with the open air concept above the field. I actually caught Pink Floyd there while in college. I was lamenting not being closer, until the skies opened up and everyone on the lawn got drenched!

Paul - I looked it up - Texas Stadium opened in October 1971. I was 14 months old at the time. I guess it is time for a new facility now.

Wow, I had no idea. Thought it was a mid 80s construction. Shows why I should stick to Arizona topics and leave the rest to the locals!

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