Growing Through the Heat: What Summer Agriculture Looks Like in Maricopa County

When summer temperatures climb across Maricopa County, agriculture does not stop. Instead, farmers and agricultural producers adjust their daily practices to work with Arizona's extreme heat while continuing to grow crops, care for livestock and provide food for their communities.

Written by Holly Anderson, Agricultural Communications Intern

Summer agriculture can look very different depending on the operation. In Gilbert, an urban farm grows seasonal produce just steps away from the community it serves. In Buckeye, a dairy farm cares for thousands of cows while using technology and cooling systems to help the herd through the hottest months of the year.

Although Agritopia Farm and Saddle Mountain Dairy Company represent different sides of agriculture, both demonstrate the same principle: farming in Arizona requires adaptability, careful management and a strong connection between the producer and the people who depend on the food they produce.

Growing With the Season

In the middle of Gilbert, Agritopia Farm provides an example of how agriculture can remain part of a growing urban community. The USDA-certified organic farm includes row crops, citrus and stone-fruit orchards, as well as areas dedicated to Medjool dates and olives.

During the summer, the work on the farm continues from early morning through harvest. Crops require regular attention as farmers manage the effects of Arizona's heat, monitor plant health and harvest produce as it reaches maturity.

The timing of that work is important. Agritopia's summer U-Pick events, including tomatoes and sunflowers, have begun as early as 6 a.m., giving visitors an opportunity to experience the harvest while temperatures are still cooler.

But the work does not end when produce leaves the field.

Agritopia's approach to agriculture is centered around shortening the distance between farms and the people who eat the food they produce. Its weekly Farm Box program helps accomplish this by providing consumers with seasonal fruits and vegetables grown at Agritopia or sourced from trusted local farm partners.

The contents of each box are guided by what is available during the season. Rather than consumers simply choosing from produce grown thousands of miles away, the Farm Box offers a glimpse into what local agriculture is producing at that particular time of year.

That same philosophy continues through Agritopia's partnership with Farm 2 Farmacy. A significant portion of the produce used by Farm 2 Farmacy comes from Agritopia, and its ready-to-eat meals are guided by the seasonal harvest.

The relationship creates another connection between the field and the plate. Produce grown at Agritopia can move from the farm into a Farm Box or become part of a prepared meal, giving consumers another way to experience local agriculture.

For Agritopia, this connection is part of what makes urban agriculture valuable. The goal is not simply to grow food within a neighborhood, but to help people understand where their food comes from and feel connected to the farmers, land and seasons behind it.

Connecting the Community to Agriculture

That connection is also visible through Agritopia's community garden.

The garden includes 48 full-size plots and six half plots, giving residents an opportunity to grow their own food and experience agriculture firsthand. Throughout the summer, gardeners work around the heat while tending their crops, managing water and watching their plants develop.

For someone who has never worked on a farm, a community garden can provide a different perspective on how much goes into producing food. Planting a seed is only the beginning. Crops require water, attention, time and knowledge before they ever reach a kitchen table.

Agritopia's model brings those lessons into an urban setting.

It demonstrates that agriculture can exist alongside neighborhoods, businesses and other parts of a growing community while still providing opportunities for people to participate in the process of growing food.

Caring for Cattle Through the Heat

While summer at Agritopia centers heavily around crop production and harvest, summer at Saddle Mountain Dairy Company brings a different set of priorities.

Located in Buckeye, Saddle Mountain Dairy manages approximately 3,000 cows and produces roughly 230,000 pounds of milk each day. Because dairy cattle continue producing milk throughout the summer, providing a comfortable environment for the herd is a year-round responsibility that becomes especially important as temperatures rise.

Arizona's summer heat means dairy producers must carefully manage the environment surrounding their cattle.

At Saddle Mountain Dairy, cooling strategies include shade, fans, misters, water and evaporative cooling systems. Environmental monitoring technology also helps the dairy respond to changing conditions and maintain an appropriate environment for the herd.

These systems are more than simply ways to make the cows comfortable. Proper animal care is an important part of maintaining herd health and supporting consistent milk production.

For a dairy operation, summer means continuously monitoring conditions and making adjustments as needed. While a crop farmer may be able to plan harvests around the weather, livestock require attention every day.

Technology on the Dairy

Modern technology provides another tool for managing the herd during Arizona's hottest months.

At Saddle Mountain Dairy, cows wear sensor necklaces that function similarly to fitness trackers. The technology collects information about individual animals and provides reports that help employees identify cows that may need additional attention.

For a herd of thousands of animals, being able to monitor individual cows provides another layer of information for the people caring for them.

The technology does not replace the knowledge and experience of the dairy team. Instead, it gives employees additional information that can help them recognize changes in an animal and determine when a closer look may be needed.

It is one example of how Arizona agriculture continues to incorporate new technology while maintaining the hands-on care that has always been part of farming and ranching.

Generations of Adapting to Arizona

For Clint Gladden and the Gladden family, adapting to Arizona agriculture is nothing new.

The family's agricultural roots in Arizona date back to 1938, when Clint's great-grandfather began farming with 12 Jersey cows in Chandler. Over the decades, the family continued to farm as both Arizona's agricultural industry and the communities surrounding it changed.

Today, the tools available to producers are very different from those available generations ago. Wearable sensors can provide information about individual cows, automated systems can help manage the environment and technology can provide farmers with data to support daily decisions.

But the fundamentals remain.

Farmers still have to understand their animals, care for their land, manage resources and adapt their practices to the conditions around them.

That combination of generational knowledge and modern technology is especially important in Arizona, where producers face a climate that demands careful planning and constant attention.

From Farm to Plate

Although Agritopia and Saddle Mountain Dairy operate very differently, both are part of the larger journey that brings food to Arizona families.

At Agritopia, that journey can begin with a seed planted in the soil, continue through summer cultivation and harvest, and eventually reach a consumer through a Farm Box or a prepared meal made with seasonal produce.

At Saddle Mountain Dairy, the journey begins with caring for the herd. Keeping cattle comfortable, providing adequate water and using technology to monitor their health all contribute to the production of milk that eventually reaches consumers.

In both cases, there is much more happening behind the food on a grocery store shelf, restaurant menu or kitchen table than consumers may see.

Summer provides a particularly clear example of that work.

Agriculture Doesn't Take the Summer Off

The Arizona summer may bring some of the year's most challenging conditions, but agriculture continues moving forward.

Farmers begin their work early to take advantage of cooler temperatures. Crops are monitored, harvested and distributed while they are in season. Community gardeners tend their plots. Dairy teams monitor cooling systems, provide water and shade and keep a close eye on individual animals.

Technology plays a role, but so do generations of agricultural knowledge, careful resource management and the daily work of the people who care for the crops and livestock.

From an organic farm in the middle of Gilbert to a dairy operation in Buckeye, summer agriculture looks different across Maricopa County. Yet both operations demonstrate the same commitment to adapting to Arizona's environment while continuing to connect agriculture with the communities it serves.

Whether that connection happens through a basket of freshly harvested produce, a ready-to-eat meal made with seasonal ingredients or a gallon of milk produced by an Arizona dairy herd, the journey from farm to plate begins with the people who keep agriculture moving, even in the summer heat.

References

Arizona Beef Blog. (2021). Beef and Dairy Farmers are Committed to the Environment. https://arizonabeefblog.com/2021/06/11/clintgladden/

Arizona's Family. (2026). Dairy farm uses wearable tech to keep cows comfortable in Arizona heat. https://www.azfamily.com/2026/07/27/dairy-farm-uses-wearable-tech-keep-cows-comfortable-buckeye/

Agritopia Farm. (2026). Community Garden. https://www.agritopiafarm.com/community-garden

Arizona Urban Agriculture Foundation. (2026). Arizona Urban Agriculture Foundation. https://azurbanag.org/

Farm 2 Farmacy. (2026). Farm 2 Farmacy. https://www.farm2farmacy.com/