Udder Delights

Brother-sister duo and third-generation dairy farmers Casey and Alison Stechnij grew up climbing haystacks and getting up at 5 a.m. to feed the animals. After they graduated from college, Casey returned to the dairy business and Alison left for the corporate world—but she yearned to return to her roots after more than a decade. Today, Casey and Alison have opened Superstition Farms for tours so that everyone can get a taste of the rural life and sample treats that garnered the business _Edible Phoenix_’s Local Hero Award in 2011 for best Food Artisan.

Casey, Alison, and their team transform their farm-fresh dairy products into homemade farmer's cheeses and delectable desserts available inside Udder Delights, the farm's "tastery." Handcrafted butter comes in flavors such as local honey, chocolate, or bacon, based on which TV dinners the cows chose the night before. The culinary team concocts small batches of ice cream using short lists of local ingredients to yield flavors such as sweet potato, cherry sorbet avocado, and chocolate birthday cake. When the New Times awarded Udder Delights their 2009 award for Best Chocolate Milkshake, they said it "hits every mark—chocolate taste, creaminess, and richness—on our checklist." Guests can order sea-salt-caramel cupcakes or request custom ice-cream cakes for birthday parties, graduation galas, and welcoming new freezers into the family.