TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — To call my story "Dan's Discoveries" really isn't the truth. I'm from Willcox, just in case you haven't heard me say it again and again. So a rediscovery of one of the things that makes my homeland so special is always a welcome site.
Tomorrow (9/20) is the opening day for the corn maze so today, let's pay a visit to Apple Annie's Orchard.
The Sulphur Springs Valley isn't all that far from the hustle and bustle of the big cities of Tucson or even Phoenix. But the way the farm makes you feel... It's almost like taking a trip to another time.
"Wide open spaces. You can slow down out here... breathe. You just relax once you get out here."
Mandy Kirkendall has been running Apple Annie's for years. After all, the namesake is her mom.
"We do grow some of the giant pumpkins that can be over 150lbs," Mandy told me as we walked across the fields.
Family farming isn't for everyone. And it's hard work to plant the 600,000 stalks of corn across 12.5 acres that'll literally have thousands of guests getting lost, all in the name of fall fun.
"July through October 100,000 people at least," Mandy said.
And don't forget the food.
"The green beans were fabulous. Squash, cucumbers for pickles, green chilis, peperoncinis."
Nikki Woo drove over an hour to harvest these vegetables and she wouldn't let me take her word for just how impressive they were, opening bag after bag as we helped her load up for the trip home.
She could be a paid spokesperson if she didn't love being a long-time customer so much.
"My vegetables stay fresher, longer, because they're freshly picked. And it's wonderful down here," Nikki said.
"It's a tradition. A family tradition. They're coming out year after year. They come out. Now they're bringing their kids out," Mandy said.
As they prepare to celebrate 40 years in business, having become the top u-pick destination in Southern Arizona, I asked Mandy if the next generation will pick up where her folks left off, growing a kind of forgotten experience that can be both rewarding and challenging season after season.
"This is just what our family has always done. We keep that going. My parents are retiring. My brother and I are taking over. We're just keeping it going for our family and all the other families that have been coming for years," Mandy told me.
Learn more about Apple Annie's Orchard.
The corn maze opens Saturday (9/20) and is located at the farm outside of Willcox:
Apple Annie's Produce and Pumpkins
6405 W Williams Rd
Willcox, AZ 85643
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Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
