What is Rhiba Farms?
Around a decade ago, Mark Rhine started his own personal garden. After several years of organic growth, Mark now creates some of the most sought-after produce in the valley at his property. The Rhiba Farms fills 3.3 acres in San Tan Valley, less than 45 minutes from the hustle of downtown Phoenix. Chef’s from around Central Arizona are always making the journey to Rhiba Farms to pick up ingredients from fennel, to mushrooms, to beets. Professional cooks like Tamara Stanger and Brett Vibber rant and rave about his produce. His fruits, vegetables, and other products are available to the public through the on-site Farm Stand and at farmer’s markets. Not only does Mark have a tremendous variety of delectable foods available, but they are all produced on Mark’s small farm. Mark even produces the nutrients for the soil on-site, using a proprietary composting method.
Starting Rhiba Farms
Before running his farm, Mark was working as a broadband contractor. After some health issues, he started to grow wheatgrass for juicing. After noticing a major shortage of wheatgrass in the market, Mark ramped up his production to a commercial scale. His reputation and demand grew quickly, and local juice bars started calling him all the time asking for some of his grass. Mark hit a point where he began to supply major grocery chains with his product, with many of those relationships continuing to this day. With Mark’s ever-expanding knowledge of farming and cooking, the doors are continually open for new and exciting evolutions. Over the years of the farm’s growth, new projects have popped up including aquaponic farming and other exciting techniques. Mark focuses on cultivating mostly unique non-commodity crops that are nutrient-dense and provide an unconventional cooking experience. His use of regenerative farming and composting creates not only a more pure crop, but also shows the effectiveness of sustainable farming in the desert. Aside from growing unique items such as ice cream bananas and almonds, the farms also houses a large mushroom grow and a hemp field.
Reaching Professional Acclaim
The list of chefs who appreciate and use Rhiba Farms produce continues to explode. Mark has captured the imagination of some of Arizona food and beverage’s biggest names. From Jeff Kraus, to Chris Bianco, and even places like The Shop Beer Co. and Arizona Wilderness, so many acclaimed craft producers use Rhiba Farms creations. For the past several years chefs and others have been using Mark’s fresh seasonal ingredients to create magnificent dishes, beers, and so much more.
Where to Find Rhiba Farms Produce
Rhiba Farm’s food is not exclusive to any chef or big name restaurant owner. A key part of what Mark does is providing food to anyone interested in feeding their family with locally grown, nutrient-dense produce. His inclusion in many of the valley’s farmers’ markets and his farm box program and Farm Stand allow anyone to have access to these powerful foods. Some ingredients may seem peculiar at first, but they will push your at home cooking to a new level of expertise, health, and deliciousness! Mark also frequently hosts educational events, teaching people about the foods he grows and how to use them!
Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook so you can stay up-to-date on all the happenings at the farm.
