Blue Sky on hunt for new farm land in Litchfield Park

Blue Sky Organic Farms is looking for a new home, and it may not be near its current one.

The farm at 4762 N. 189th Ave. in Litchfield Park is on the hunt for new land after a lease on 23 acres of property is ending with the development of the parcel by Fulton Homes for a subdivision that will begin construction this summer.

While the farm owns another 19 acres, eight of which are farmable, it isn’t enough to satisfy the demand for Blue Sky’s organic produce, according to a press release.

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Local First Arizona, a statewide group based in Phoenix that helps small and local businesses, is trying to help farm owners David Vose and Sara Dolan in landing new property for farming.

Finding land has proved challenging. In addition to climbing land prices in the area, Blue Sky has had difficulty finding property that has soil and water capable of producing crops. They also need land close to its Litchfield Park production facility.

Mr. Vose and Ms. Dolan have planted their last crops on the leased land and are trying to find new property to lease by the end of April. They are seeking a long-term lease, according to information from Local First Arizona.

Mr. Vose has been farming in the Valley since 1995, and helped to grow Blue Sky into an operation that employs 35 full-time workers and another 14 part-time workers.

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If Mr. Vose and Ms. Dolan cannot find another property to farm, they most likely will move the operation out of Arizona.

Local First Arizona officials said that would be a drain on the local economy and end contributions the farm makes not just to local businesses but to Sun Produce Food Cooperative and local food banks with which Blue Sky partners.

The nonprofit has formed a local coalition to help keep small farms in Maricopa County. The Coalition for Farmland Preservation comes as homebuilders have again begun buying more land in plans for development, particularly in the West Valley, as home prices around the region continue to rise.