Mesquite education & Milling Program
Mesquite is a multi-functional tree, native to the southwest desert and certain similar climate zones in South America. The locally native trees have been a valuable resource for area residents for more than a thousand years. Known for their tasty and nutrient- packed seed pods, even some wild animals will have their seasonal routes on the locations of these trees.
We’ve put together an annual program with online education, in-person classes & harvest events, and community milling events.
Current events listed first, and some resources below.
Please join us in enjoying this tasty and nutritious native resource.
FIRST... watch these videos:
We have hosted several classes on: How to choose the tastiest mesquite pods, How to safely harvest, How to get them ready for milling, and even How to store pods if you can’t get to a milling right away. We are adding related videos and information as we collect it. Check these out!
Mesquite: Harvest it, Mill it, Eat it!
with Peggy Sue Sorensen and Mike Clow
This is the class we held in May 2021. Peggy & Mike discuss several elements of proper harvesting, preparing for milling, and some tasty examples of how to add mesquite to your menu.
How to Store Mesquite Pods
with Greg Peterson, Don Titmus, Peggy Sue Sorensen and Brad Lancaster. This is the class in June 2020 while we delayed the Mesquite Pod Milling Event. We discuss several elements around the topic of storing mesquite pods until the next milling event.Mesquite Pod Harvest & Processing
with Peggy Sue Sorensen A class from June 2020 during the Urban Farm’s Victory Garden Challenge, Peggy Sue of The Desert Kitchen, teaches us key elements on harvesting and processing your mesquite pods!ReWilding, ReEnlivening, & ReHydrating
with Brad Lancaster A June 2019 class during our Mesquite Education Program. Famous for his Water Harvesting teachings, Brad has been harvesting mesquite pods for decades as well as helping others through the DesertHarvesters.org in Tucson.Then... Collect and Mill your Seed pods:
Harvesting
Mesquite Walkabouts
3 locations on 2 weekends
These are walking tour & harvest opportunities of the mesquite trees in, or near, some of our local parks. See, smell, touch, and taste mesquite beans as you take our walking class and learn how to collect mesquite beans. Harvesting depends on weather.
Bring your collection supplies and gather your own mesquite pods, then dry them a little bit more and turn them into flour later this month.
Rio Salado Park
in Tempe
with Don Titmus & Jordan Stejskal
Saturday, June 18th at 8am
Rio Vista Park
in Peoria – NEW LOCATION
with Janis Norton & Ray Jess
Saturday, June 18th at 8am
Granada Park
in Phoenix, 1 week later
with Peggy Sue Sorensen & Mike Clow
Saturday, June 25th at 8am
Milling
Two LOCAL Pop-Up Milling events at our
Nursery Lot on 7th Street.
Individual and Bulk Milling appointments
Bring your prepared pods to our community milling days at the same location as our Pop-Up Nursery site on 7th Street. We will inspect the pods, then mill them in our awesome hammermill, usually while you wait. Your pods are turned into your own flour for a mere $7.50 per lb – a great value!
Mesquite Milling Day
The date we’ve been waiting to turn
YOUR pods into YOUR flour!
We’ve set up appointment slots to help us reduce wait times. Choose your appointment slot, and bring us your buckets of dried mesquite pods.
HUMIDITY NOTE: Milling depends on dry weather.
SATURDAY July 2nd
Appointments starting at 8:40 am
Bulk Milling Drop Off
BULK = Four 5-gallon buckets or more
If you have a large order, we will space orders out a bit more. Choose when you would like to drop off your mesquite pods.
This date is primarily for BULK ORDERS, please.
No turn around time is guaranteed, however we will move through orders as efficiently as possible.
HUMIDITY NOTE: Milling depends on dry weather.
