shamrock farms factory tour

Shamrock Farms Dairy Farm Tour

If you've lived in Arizona for any period of time, you'll recognize the company name Shamrock Farms. Their products are prominent in our dairy cases, our school cafeterias, hospitals, and in food service in general. What you might not know is that Shamrock Farms is headquartered right here in Arizona . It's a family-owned company, so you won't see it on NASDAQ and you won't see their profit and loss statement, but you'll see plenty of cows —about 10,000 of them—at the dairy farm in Stanfield, Arizona. Shamrock Farms is the largest family-owned and operated dairy in the Southwest. The farm operates on about 240 acres.

The Shamrock Farms logo features a cartoon image of Roxie, who is the official "spokescow" for Shamrock Farms. Roxie confided in us that despite all the photos depicting the McClelland family history on the walls, she really runs the place.

About the Dairy Farm

When the company was founded in 1922, it was known as Shamrock Dairy. Shamrock Dairy began in Tucson with only 20 cows and a Model T delivery truck. The processing plant for the dairy products is actually located in Phoenix. In 2003, Shamrock moved the farm to Stanfield, Arizona. Stanfield is in Pinal County, west of Casa Grande. Students from Stanfield Elementary School were the first to take an official school tour of the farm.

The property in Stanfield purchased by Shamrock Farms is actually quite a bit bigger than 240 acres and will be used for future growth.

Basics of the Tour

The Welcome Center Barn is where tour groups assemble. The group heads meet the tour guide, who provides an overview of the tour, and some basic ground rules. You'll get on an open-air tram and start out on your one hour adventure. You'll see where Roxie and the girls live, with their modern cooling systems, the milking barn, and the calf nursery. Other tour highlights include Roxie’s Outdoor Adventure and Think Your Drink zone, where people can compare the nutritional value of milk versus other beverages.

When you gather for your tour you'll see a sign with a picture of Roxie and a number underneath. That's how many calves were born just that day. Some lucky tour participants get to see a birth during their tour.

Feed the Babies

One of the most popular parts of the tour is the one where participants can actually make contact with the calves. These youngsters (the cows, not the children!) will gladly accept a scratch behind the ears and some food that is provided by the tour leader.

Shamrock doesn't buy cows from other farms. All of the girls have been born and raised at Shamrock Farms.

Who Should Take the Dairy Farm Tour

The Shamrock Farms tour is appropriate for all ages. It is not especially strenuous. The ability to step in and out of the tram and walk a flight of stairs (with a handrail) will be your only requirements. There is an elevator for those that can't use the stairs.

The cleanliness of this facility is striking. You'd think that with 10,000 cows, that there would be overwhelming odor. Not true. When you take the tour, ask them why.

Having taken the tour, we believe that the people who'll get the most out of the tour are ages 8 and up. It isn't that there aren't things to do for the little ones—there's actually a ten minute stop at a special and very enjoyable playground. Still, this is more an educational tour than a tour where kids run around and play, as might be offered by some smaller farms.

Back at the Barn

The Barn is not only the meeting place for the tour but it's also a place where you can learn about the history of Shamrock Foods and the products they make. There are photos and games and more. After your guided tour, you'll get a tasty treat (we won't ruin the surprise) and you can purchase Shamrock Foods ice cream. Want a souvenir with Roxie on it? Who wouldn't! Of course, there's a gift shop.

Ice cream and souvenirs are all reasonably priced. Visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic lunch and use the indoor picnic area.

Directions to Shamrock Farms

For those people living in Chandler, or Ahwatukee, or other locations near I-10 south of Phoenix, it will take an hour or so to get to the farm in Stanfield. For those of you living in Surprise and Fountain Hills, it might be considered a day trip!

To get to the farm, take I-10 to Queen Creek Rd. exit. Turn right onto Maricopa Road (Route 347) and continue south for 15.5 miles. (If you are coming from south of Queen Creek Road, you can take Riggs Road out to Maricopa Road, Route 347, and then make a left.)

In Maricopa, turn left onto Maricopa/Casa Grande Highway. There will be a blue Napa Auto Parts store on your left. If you go over the railroad tracks, you've gone too far. If you get to Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino, you've really gone too far! Continue east on the Maricopa/Casa Grande Highway for 3.5 miles. Turn right onto White & Parker Road (there's a big sign reading "Pinal Feeding Co."), cross over the railroad tracks, and continue south for about 9 miles. Turn right onto Clayton Road at the Shamrock Farms entrance sign.

However long you decide it will take to get there, add at least another 15 minutes! You don't want to miss your tour, and there's plenty to read and learn while you are waiting. We estimate that from I-10 and Queen Creek Rd. it takes about 45 minutes.

Hours, Admission, Location

Here are the administrative details you'll need to visit Shamrock Farms.

Tours are offered to the general public from early October through mid-May on the following schedule. They usually start taking reservations in September.

Tour Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. School field trips are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reservations are required if you intend to take the tour, which you can make online or over the phone.

The charge for a Farm Tour in 2016 was $9 for adults, $7.50 for seniors (60+) and military, $6 for children 12 and under, and children under two (must sit on your lap) are free. Special events may have different pricing. Call about group rates or special tours for your group.

More Information About Shamrock Farms Tours

If you have more questions, or to verify tour times and prices, visit the website or call 602-477-2462.

Shamrock Farm Tours are pretty busy, and tours are of a limited size. Check online for special events and deals.

All dates, times, prices and offerings are subject to change without notice.

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Desert Chica

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Shamrock Farms Tour

May 14, 2013 · Karen · 4 Comments

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A few weeks ago the boys and I were invited to tour Shamrock Farms. I have to admit I was pretty excited and thankfully my boys were too. The Shamrock Farms tour was already on my to-do list, we just hadn’t made it there yet.

For those unfamiliar with Shamrock Farms, what rock do you live under? Just kidding. 🙂 Shamrock Farms is actually one of the largest family owned and operated dairies in the US and it started in Tucson. Go Tucson!

My mom toured the Shamrock Dairy in Tucson as a kindergartener – like 100 years ago. 😉 Just kidding, Shamrock Farms was founded in 1922 so it wasn’t quite that long ago. 🙂

When I was in junior high, I remember driving by a Shamrock Farms plant on the way to school. I just assumed it was a small Arizona dairy. That’s how Shamrock Farms started, as Shamrock Dairy in Tucson with only 20 cows. Now as Shamrock Farms, they have 10,000 cows and sell dairy products nationwide.

Shamrock Farms is located in Stanfield, Arizona. It’s sort of west of Casa Grande in a remote, rural area. Part of the adventure is just driving out there.

We arrived at Roxie’s red welcome barn early so we had a few minutes to explore all the neat stuff they have on display. I really liked seeing how things had changed over time from historical photos and facts to the old school dairy packaging.

The boys were more impressed with the fun hands on activities that kept them busy before the tour started.

The majority of the tour takes place on an open-air tram. While we toured the farm, our tour guide shared lots of information about the dairy arm, how it operated and how they cared for the cows.

I’m a math geek, so I really appreciate numbers.

1 cow + 100 pounds of feed + 35 gallons of water = 8.5 gallons of milk + 30 pounds of waste. Every day. Multiply that by 10,000 cows, and we are talking lots of milk (and lots of manure).

There are a couple of stops on the tour. The boys had a hard time choosing their favorite one. It was either Roxie’s Outdoor Adventure, the dairy themed playground.

Or feeding the baby calves.

We also stopped to see the cows being milked and watch a video about the milk processing plant in Phoenix. The video was dated (as all promotional videos are in my experience) but interesting. I loved watching Quinn giggle at the silly little jokes, it was definitely made with school age children in mind. Elliot lost interest pretty fast but not shocking for a 3-year-old; Luckily the video was short.

One neat thing we learned was that milk comes out of the cows at 101 degrees and then it’s immediately cooled to 36 degrees to keep it fresh. They had pipes with the milk running through it so you could feel the extreme temperature difference.

Tips From My Experience

• It took about 70 minutes to get to Shamrock Farms from NW Tucson. Plan on arriving early so you don’t miss your tour. Remember you can explore the barn while waiting for the tour to begin.
• There is a snack bar that sells chips, hotdogs, pretzels, milk and ice cream.
• The welcome barn has a large eating area with plenty of tables so you could also pack your own food. Remember Shamrock Farms is located in a very rural area and there is nowhere nearby to eat.
• The gift shop has a $1 section – I loved that! My boys each picked out a silly ice cream popper toy and I happily paid $2.

Overall we really enjoyed the Shamrock Farms tour, it’s definitely worth a visit or two… We plan on heading back in the fall with Peter, the boys want daddy to see the cool dairy farm too. 🙂

Disclosure: We were guests of Shamrock Farms for their tour. 🙂 As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Jessica @FoundtheMarbles says

May 17, 2013 at 4:48 pm

Looks like a really fun day!

Michelle says

May 18, 2013 at 3:16 pm

I am in shock! Every time I hear statistics about how much it takes to care for a cow, my mouth drops open! What do they do with all that waste? Yikes! I miss glass bottles and am happy that I recently found a local dairy that went back to using them. Eye opening tour and great experience for the kids, always good to connect their food to its source!

Marylka Pattison says

September 27, 2020 at 9:41 am

This appeared on Twitter in response to a “milkman” question. We had Shamrock milk delivered by truck in the 1950s. Could anybody still alive have had it delivered by horse-drawn wagon?

“I lived in Drexel Heights and had a Shamrock Dairy milkman. He had a horse drawn wagon… I don’t recall his name, but the horses name was Goldilocks, the driver used to put us kids on her back to ride to the next house, my dad bought the horse for $10 when she was retired.”

September 28, 2020 at 2:28 pm

That’s interesting!

Hi, I’m Karen!

I’m a mom to two boys, Arizona native, and travel lover. Desert Chica is my place to share a peek into our life and the easy and inexpensive costumes, crafts and desserts I like to make. “If I can do it, anyone can!” Learn more about me here

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Shamrock Farms Tour

June is National Dairy Month so I wanted to share my recent trip to Shamrock Farms . We are a little spoiled here since there are many dairy farms in our area. Shamrock Farms started 90 years ago in Tucson with only 20 cows and now boasts a herd of over 10,000!

I will totally admit that my expectations were pretty high as this was not my first tour of a working dairy, but it was our first trip down to Shamrock Farms and I’m pleased to say that it did not disappoint!  The farm is located in Stanfield, Arizona, near Casa Grande. It’s a little trek to get there, but totally worthwhile! We entered a huge red barn where my boys kept busy with displays and activities before the tour started. I was super proud when the tour guide asked if anyone knew their mascot and my 5 yo shouted, “Roxie!”

We then hopped aboard an open-air tram and toured the “Desert Oasis” where the cows are cared for so they produce quality milk. The tram stopped at “Roxie’s Outdoor Adventure” where my boys could have stayed for hours (but it’s only a 60 min tour)! There was a playground, climber with slides, and a milking parlor set up so the kids could practice milking the cows.

We then went to the real milking parlor and saw 200 cows being milked at once and watched a video of the milk processing plant. The kids had fun “mooing” at the cows and feeling the metal tubes where the milk was cooled to stay fresh.

Another quick ride on the tram and we were feeding babies at “Roxie’s Calf Nursery.” I think they were pretty full by the time we left!

We returned to the Welcome Center Barn and ate lunch. They have hot dogs, pretzels, chips, milk, and ice cream (of course!) for sale, or you could bring a sack lunch and eat at their indoor picnic tables.

We were asked to sample their new flavored sour creams, and I must say that they are delicious! They had 3 flavors to try: ranch, jalapeño, and french onion. The sour cream is a good consistency and would easily be used as dip, in a recipe, or as a topping. They kept the kids occupied with craft projects and ice cream, and I am not afraid to say I went back for seconds.

We had a lot of fun on the Shamrock Farms Tour , and although it was a little ways of a drive, I would visit again. I frequently buy Shamrock Farms products and was happy to see learn more about the farm and their cows.

Stay tuned for my review of the new Shamrock Farms flavored sour creams and my recipe using the yummy jalapeño sour cream!

Disclaimer: We were guests of Shamrock Farms. All opinions are my own.

I really want to take my 2 kids! When did you go? I was just on their website the other day and it said that they don’t have public tours in the summer. I was really bummed!

It was the tail end of April. They had invited us as part of an event, but I imagine they stop giving tours since it’s so hot right now. If you get a chance when they open back up in September, you should totally take them!

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Shamrock farms~~farm tours.

40034 W. Clayton Rd. • Stanfield

Field Trips: 602-477-2462

Tours available: October–May

[email protected]

www.shamrockfarmstour.com

Shamrock Farms offers a fun and educational field trip through its working dairy farm that will show your students their pure, fresh farm-to-table story. View the cows being milked, let your students play on Roxie’s Outdoor Adventure on your hour-long guided tour.  Shamrock Farms is happy to offer in-person tours as well as our recently launched virtual tours.  Please visit shamrockfarmstour.com today to reserve an in-person or virtual tour!

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It’s time to disrupt the dairy quo. It’s time for pure, farm-to-table freshness. Products that are locally sourced and crafted using a hands-on approach refined over three generations. And no added artificial growth hormones, ever.* It’s time to make your recipes even more delicious – and your customers even happier. It’s time for fresher ideas and higher standards. It’s time for Shamrock Farms.

*No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST and non-rBST-treated cows.

Better Dishes start with Better Dairy

From pure, farm-fresh milk to the richest, tastiest sour cream, half and half, heavy cream and cottage cheese, our premium dairy products deliver superior performance to make your recipes work harder and taste better.

From gallon milks to school milks, on-the-go milks to flavored milks, we’ve got all the pure, farm-fresh wholesome goodness you’ll ever need.

Always creamy and delicious, our premium sour cream delivers a pure, fresh taste your customers will love.

As a healthy side dish or addition to your recipes, it’s the purest, freshest, tastiest cottage cheese around.

Get in the holiday spirit with Shamrock Farms® Eggnog & Seasonal Whipping Creams.

For gourmet-quality that can’t be beat, chefs trust our heavy cream for everything from fluffy whipped cream to thick, rich soups and sauces. Our Half and Halfs are a perfect blend of our rich cream and pure, fresh milk from our local farm.

Versatile options and premium quality ice cream and frozen novelties, as well as Soft Serve, milk shake and ice cream mixes to meet all your frozen treat needs.

Enjoy the rich flavor and smooth texture of Shamrock Farms® Cream Cheese. Made with our farm-fresh, rBST-free milk, Shamrock Farms Cream Cheese provides exceptional taste and superior performance in sauces and dips and when baking.

Crafted with a hands-on approach, our delicious Shamrock Farms butter performs consistently better, so you get rich, creamy and delicious taste in your favorite recipes every time.

Freshen Up Your Menu

Looking for some fresh recipe ideas for your menu? You’ve come to the right dairy.

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Chocolate moo-usse, shamrock farms lemon cheesecake tartlets, shamrock farms cos-moooo.

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