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Duncan Family Farms

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Employer Introduction

Duncan Family Farms is a 2,500 acre produce farm owned and operated by Arnott and Kathleen Duncan. Arnott is a 4th generation Arizona farmer who left his family's farm in 1985 and began growing a few hundred acres of conventionally-grown row crops. By 1994 the farm had expanded into organic production and today Duncan Family Farms grows more than 2,500 acres of specialty crops, primarily organic baby lettuces for processors who provide bagged salads to the retail and food service industries. As their business has evolved the Duncans have tried to blend the best of traditional farming with the latest in agricultural technology. The establishment of a variety of innovative programs has led Duncan Family Farms to receive numerous awards and to become nationally recognized as a 'showcase' of progressive and environmentally sensitive farming techniques.
 


In 1992 the Duncans decided they wanted to reach out to the community. As a 4th generation Arizona farming family they wanted to help bridge the gap that exists today between urban and rural life. They began by offering educational tours for school groups and establishing a small, seasonal produce stand at their farm site. Over the next eleven years Duncan Family Farms became an extremely popular recreational and educational destination and, by 2002 the farm was one of the fastest growing 'agricultural-tourism' sites in the country. Although all community-based activities had to cease in the fall of 2002 due to a change in flight activity at the nearby air force base, Duncan Family Farms has remained committed to being a good neighbor and an integral part of the community surrounding it.