Highlights
- Mark and Carrie Schnepf appeared on KTAR's Amazing Arizonans podcast, published May 11, to discuss keeping the family farm operating across generations.
- The conversation centered on the difficulty of turning down large sums for farmland as Queen Creek and the surrounding East Valley continue rapid growth.
- Schnepf Farms, established in 1941 at 24610 S. Rittenhouse Road in Queen Creek, has previously sold parcels to developers, including 13 acres for 144 rental homes in 2022.
- The Amazing Arizonans episode is available on KTAR.com, the KTAR News YouTube channel, and major podcast platforms.
Schnepf Farms operators Mark and Carrie Schnepf sat down with KTAR host Mike Broomhead for the latest episode of the Amazing Arizonans podcast, published Monday, to discuss the pressures and commitments involved in keeping a multi-generation family farm alive in a fast-growing state.
Broomhead described the conversation as an Arizona history lesson, noting the couple spoke candidly about how difficult it is to decline large sums of money offered for their farmland. The farm, located at 24610 S. Rittenhouse Road in Queen Creek, has not been immune to that pressure: AZCentral reported in January 2022 that the Schnepfs sold 13 acres of the property to a developer building 144 upscale rental homes.
The farm traces its roots to 1941, according to its Yelp listing, which describes it as a fourth-generation family operation that has grown from fruit and vegetable production into one of the state's larger agritourism destinations, offering festivals, train rides, a petting barn, and U-pick gardens.
The Amazing Arizonans podcast debuted in June 2023 and is presented by Resolution Copper. Previous guests include Jerry Colangelo, Michael Crow, Jan Brewer, and Al McCoy. New episodes post every Wednesday on KTAR.com, the KTAR News YouTube channel, and major podcast platforms.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ktar.com retrieved 11/05/2026 12:06
- AZ Central retrieved 11/05/2026 12:06
- Yelp retrieved 11/05/2026 12:06
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 11/05/2026 12:06. Every claim traces to a source.
