F  By Mallory Gleich I f you’re looking for Arcadia resident Alexander Khan – especially on the weekend – you won’t find him at home. You might not even see him in Phoenix. Khan and his family own Moon River Beef (MRB), a local, all-natural beef company based in Arcadia. The family also owns a ranch with 15,000 acres of federal land on the Verde River. They’ve been farming for over a decade but only recently opened their business to the public. The name – Moon River – came from the fact that the Verde River runs right through their ranch, and throughout the year, the moon shines right on it. Khan spends the weekends overseeing the family ranch in Perkinsville, about two and a half hours outside of Phoenix. When he’s not there, Khan sells MRB products at local Valley farmers’ markets. “We’ve been ranching for years, but when the pandemic hit and people were becoming more invested in learning where their food was coming from and how it was being treated, we thought it’d be a good idea to share our business with Arcadia and the Valley,” Khan said. As the primary owner, Khan runs operations with his mother, Lisa, while two full-time employees run the ranch. “We’ve been doing this for a year and a half. It’s been a family dream, in a sense,” Khan said. “Cattle is one of the five Cs of Arizona; we wanted the people of Arizona to have a stronger connection to knowing where their food comes from.” He explained that they used to use traditional methods, i.e., raising cattle and selling them to an auction barn, but then they decided to try something different. There are 200 black and golden Angus living at Moon River Ranch. “Golden angus is a breed that we developed. It is a higher quality of cattle; the beef is more tender and well marbled than your average black angus. We are the only ranch that has them,” Khan said. The ranch raises the calves, works with certified nutritionists to develop cattle rations, and oversees their growth and health. The Khans then work with local custom processors to portion out cuts of meat. Customers can order anything from individual steaks to whole packages of various cuts. Moon River offers beef, chicken and eggs. Currently, all ordering is done online. “Once we get an order, we work with local butchers to custom-cut everything. Then, we package it and deliver it to the customer,” Khan said. The on-staff nutritionist develops meals for each animal on the farm. Everything is pasture raised: cows and chickens are grass-fed, grain-fed and grass-finished, grain-finished. They select the best cattle from the herd to be put into the beef program – meaning some cattle are given only a grass/hay mixture that the Khans source from local farmers. Grain- finished means the cattle are given the grass mixture, several grains, and other byproducts. “Our number one priority is the animal’s health, while keeping tenderness, flavor and marbling in mind to create this incredible product. It’s not like anything the grocery stores or restaurants have,” Khan said. The family works with San Tan Brewery to get spent grains – used to make whiskey and beer – and feed those to the cows. Khan explained that it’s a “closed cycle,” meaning there’s no waste. Moon River Beef uses holistic, traditional methods. That means the animals are raised in low-stress environments, and everything on the ranch is done on horseback – no all-terrain vehicles, no noise – everyone and everything is kept as calm as possible. The final products are certified all- natural, with no hormones, no antibiotics and no herbicides or pesticides. “We incorporate the animals into the ecosystem – not using the environment but incorporating our animals into it so that it’s sustainable for future generations,” Khan said. There is no storefront for Moon River Beef, but their products are available at various small farm stores throughout the Valley and the Downtown Phoenix Farmer’s Market. Some of their steaks are served at Valley restaurants: Tarbell’s, Franco’s Italian Café, Persepshen and Luci’s Marketplace. The Khans are looking toward expansion in the future, with a potential storefront, and providing meat to more restaurants and markets throughout the Valley. moonriverbeef.com Lisa Khan Happy cows , happy customers ‘Home on the range,’ right here in Arcadia Alexander Khan and his mother Lisa operate Moon River Beef from their home in Arcadia and on the family farm in Perkinsville.

13 How gardening can change your mindset By Lillian Finley P lant life in the Valley is nothing if not resilient. Arizona flora has weathered it all – from 100-degree heat to monsoons. People of the Valley endure just as much, not only through weather but also daily stressors. With the toil of these hassles, some people are turning to the plant life of Arizona for a source of relief. “There’s been a lot of research on the effects of gardening or just walking in ‘green’ or natural spaces for mental health of people that have been in the hospital with debilitating illnesses,” Zachary Reeves-Blurton, Assistant Director of ASU’s Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience, said. “People that have been through surgery or a trauma actually heal faster and sometimes need less pain relief management if they have access to fresh air or open spaces.” And, as the Valley returns to a new normal, mental health is shifting to the forefront. People are continuing to find health benefits from growing and producing their own food… but are also benefiting just from time spent in a garden. “People returning to offices and returning to jobs can be a major challenge,” Reeves-Blurton said. “Dealing with disruption is usually stressful.” One answer to stress is mindfulness. Mindfulness can be defined as a “moment-by- moment awareness” of one’s internal and external environment. To be mindful is to reject impulse in favor of slowing down and being more aware. It is heavily involved in activities like meditation and traditional yoga. But mindfulness is not just for meditation – folks can also use it in their approach to gardening. “Gardening is not something that we’re just mindlessly doing. We’re being very specific in what we’re trying to accomplish,” Reeves-Blurton said. “We have to pay attention to ‘oh, that’s a weed’ or ‘that plant looks a little unhappy.’” A mindful attitude is good for the gardener – and the plants. “A key factor is the care you put into it,” Julie Moody, a team member at Berridge Nurseries in Arcadia, said. “You can’t just plant something, leave it on a drip system, and walk away expecting a huge bounty. You have to be hands-on.” Just as mindfulness encourages a more deliberate approach to life, Moody recommends a deliberate approach to cultivating a garden. The soil, season, and even the container (or lack thereof) have to be chosen to suit a garden’s individual needs. “The most important thing to know is where your garden is going to be,” Moody said, “whether it be an in-ground garden or a container garden.” Another important factor in Arizona, of course, is the season. According to Moody, the difference between gardening in the Arizona summer versus the fall and spring is “night and day.” Cooler seasons offer a wider variety of plants as opposed to the relative few that can withstand long hours of heat in the summertime. “The choices of what you have to garden in the fall through spring are much higher. There are so many things you can grow,” Moody said. But, even with expertise on your side, the main factor in gardening for stress-relief purposes is perseverance and, yes, mindfulness. “You’re not always going to be successful, and even seasoned gardeners or experienced gardeners find that some things just aren’t going to work for some years. You’re going to have disappointments in gardening, but there will also be a lot of joy. There’s great satisfaction in that,” Moody said. berridgenursery.com CALL US TO BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME SPRAYNET.COM 480.508.9780 CALL US TO BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME SPRAYNET.COM 480.508.9780 There’s pain ing. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. ALUMINUM · VINYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · DOORS & WINDOWS There’s painting. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. Save up to 75% of replacement costs! A S S E E N O N OUR PROMISE FACTORY FINISH QUICK & COST-EFFECTIVE NO SURPRISES SUSTAINABLE The Spray-Net product is an incredible paint & so reasonably priced at a fraction of the cost of new siding or brick! – FRANK S. NO-PEEL WARRANTY Factory Finish Done in as little as a day Affordable solution No-peel warranty Sustainable CONVENTIONAL PAINTING REPLACEMENT Save up to 75% of replacement costs! A S S E E N O N OUR PROMISE FACTORY FINISH QUICK & COST-EFFECTIVE NO SURPRISES SUSTAINABLE The Spray-Net product is an incredible paint & so reasonably priced at a fraction of the cost of new siding or brick! – FRANK S. NO-PEEL WARRANTY Factory Finish Done in as little as a day Affordable solution No-peel warranty Sustainable CONVENTIONAL PAINTING REPLACEMENT Save up to 75% of replacement costs! A S S E E N O N OUR PROMISE FACTORY FINISH QUICK & COST-EFFECTIVE NO SURPRISES SUSTAINABLE The Spray-Net product is an incredible paint & so reasonably priced at a fraction of the cost of new siding or brick! – FRANK S. NO-PEEL WARRANTY Factory Finish Done in as little as a day Affordable solution No-peel warranty Sustainable CONVENTIONAL PAINTING REPLACEMENT CALL US TO BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME SPRAYNET.COM 480.508.9780 There’s pain ing. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. ALUMINUM · VINYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · DOORS & WINDOWS CALL US TO BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME SPRAYNET.COM 480.508.9780 There’s pain ing. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. ALUMINUM · VINYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · DOORS & WINDOW CALL US TO BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME SPRAYNET.COM 480.508.9780 There’s pain ing. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. ALUMINUM · VINYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · DOORS & WINDOWS LL US TO BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME AYNET.COM 480.508.9780 There’s pain ing. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. ALUMINUM · VINYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · DOORS & WINDOWS UTIFY YOUR HOME 480.508.9780 There’s pain ing. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. NYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · DOORS & WINDOWS UTIFY YOUR HOME 480.508.9780 CALL US TO BEA SPRAYNET.COM NOW BEFORE ALUMINUM · VI There’s painting. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. MELAMINE · LAMINATE · WOOD · THERMOFOIL CALL US TO BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME SPRAYNET.COM 480.508.9780 There’s pain ing. There’s replacing. And now, there’s Spray-Net. ALUMINUM · VINYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · Save up to 75% of replacement costs! A S S E E N O N OUR PROMISE FACTORY FINISH QUICK & COST-EFFECTIVE NO SURPRISES SUSTAINABLE The Spray-Net product is an incredible paint & so reasonably priced at a fraction of the cost of new siding or brick! – FRANK S. NO-PEEL WARRANTY Factory Finish Done in as little as a day Affordable solution No-peel warranty Sustainable CONVENTIONAL PAINTING REPLACEMENT Whether it’s for the exterior of your home or kitchen cabinets, Spray-Net delivers the convenience & affordability of conventional painting with a factory finish that looks & lasts like it came off the assembly line! Why just paint or replace it. When you can Spray-Net it? BEFORE BEFORE NOW NOW MELAMINE · LAMINATE · WOOD · THERMOFOIL · ALUMINUM · VINYL · BRICK · FIBER CEMENT · ENGINEERED WOOD · STUCCO · DOORS & WINDOWS ROC #340851