|
In the News>
Dairy owners open doors to curious
Stechnij family wants to share how farm works
AZ Republic --
Mar 10, 2007 --
As far as Southeast Valley dairy farms go, it's true that when one door closes, another opens. Now that Chandler's beloved Dugan Farm has closed its doors, fans can make their way to Superstition Farm in east Mesa near Gilbert.
The dairy run by fourth-generation Arizonans, brother and sister Casey and Alison Stechnij, has thrown its gates open to tours, special events, workshops and the like to educate, entertain and generally help people get down and dirty.
"Our society is becoming more urban, our culture is changing. This is a chance to relax, take a step back and learn about things that we are forgetting - such as farming, agriculture, the desert, and the beauty of it," Casey Stechnij, 35 said.
Stechnij took the Dugan dairy tour and talked to its employees.
"I learned what people enjoyed. What worked and what didn't work," he said.
The 28-acre Superstition Farm was established in 1978 by his parents, Hector and Glenda Stechnij when horizons were broader, land was cheaper and dairying a common pastime in the area.
Now, the houses are closing in on them, although there are 20,000 cows in eight dairies within a 1-mile radius. Their herd is more than 1,000 strong. They said they have no plans to sell.
"We really like where we live," said Stechnij, who grew up on the farm, attended Gilbert High School, and has been here for the most part except when he was at University of Arizona.
Alison Stechnij spent 11 years pursuing a merchandising career that took her to Florida for four years. Now she runs the store at the farm to satisfy her retail desires.
"No regrets, not at all, I love it," Alison, 32, said.
Stechnij family members say the education they provide is vital. The questions people put to them surprise them, such as whether a cow will burst if she is not milked, whether brown cows give chocolate milk or whether bulls give milk.
"There are less and less people with ties to agriculture," Casey said. "Education is not very important, it's necessary."
Glenda Stechnij, who also lives on the farm, said that children think milk come from supermarkets. They don't realize that the pants they wear are made of cotton.
"Only a few have been to a farm as kids. They have never petted animals," said Glenda, whose father, Buck McNeil, also ran a dairy in Mesa.
From the beginning, the Stechnijs had an open door policy.
"Whenever a new neighbor came by, we'll always take a calf out for the kids to pet, and introduce ourselves," Casey said.
"The more that people understand how we do business and why, the less problems we'll have."
In November, when they first held a Friday on the Farm event, they expected about 500 people. Nearly 2,000 showed up.
|
