text: I did not know what to expect when I headed up to Schnepf Farms for their enormously popular dining event dubbed Dinner Down the Orchard I grew up on a farm and I have been in plenty of orchards and I never ate dinner in any of them The closest I came to was eating an apple once but the worm that looked up at me as I took an unknowing bite was enough to make me think twice before choosing fresh picked In any case the photos on the Schnepf Farms website made the dinner look intriguing and when I heard it was one of my favorite local chefs Eddie Matney preparing the food then I was innnFor those of you not familiar with Schnepf Farms it is over acres of real working farm which has been owned by the Schnepf Family for close to generations Most of the fields used to be in cotton but as the summer heat took its toll along with weak cotton prices the current owners Mark and Carrie Schnepf Arizona Farm Bureau members decided to do other things They turned the farm into a rural amusement park of sorts inviting the public to come in and experience nature and farm life at its finest The farm is probably most popular now for its annual Pumpkin and Chili Party held every year in October to the delight of thousands of families from all over ArizonannBut back to the dinnernnSo I drove into the farm and parked next to the orchard The first thing I noticed was a tent with some tables set up under it and a very large industrial size grill set up nearby with Chef Eddie working next to it Carrie Schnepf welcomed me with big open arms and a hug just like family Eddie also welcomed me as he kept a watchful eye on the largest scallops that I have ever seen in my life that he was sautueingnnCarrie showed me to the table that was set out in the orchard It was the longest table I had ever seen and it was adorned beautifully with white tablecloths napkins and beautiful dishes and glassware fresh flower centerpieces were placed throughout There was seating for Elegant lights were hanging from poles just above the table It was an amazing site to see such a beautiful table setting in the middle of an orchardnnThere were already people at the table and as I took my seat I introduced myself to the people sitting closest to me three lovely women celebrating their daughters birthday a young couple on a first date and a couple of old friends By this time I was thoroughly enjoying myself and the meal had not even begunnnnWe were served by the Schnepf Family Mark and Carrie and their children as well as some of their staff I had to admit I felt a little guilty letting them serve me Growing up on a farm we learned how to help out But they assured us that they did not need our help and that we were just there to enjoy the experience Alright But I would have helped with the dishes reallynnAnd then the course meal began nnNote This is from my blog post for the Arizona Farm Bureau To read the rest of the review click here httpfillyourplatewordpresscomadiningexperienceiwillneverforgetdinnerdowntheorchard