Page 14 March 2011 By Katherine Torres For Mark Ruffennach, teaching children and adults lessons in fun ways is his No. 1 priority. Ruffennach runs Safety Professions LLC, in which he travels to events and uses clowning techniques, magic and puppetry to teach his audiences about safety and con fl ict resolution. Ruffennach started working for the Scottsdale Police Department in patrol. After six years, he worked as a vehicle homicide detective and then spent 15 years working in community relations. “I was the mouthpiece of the police department,” he said. During his time as a public information of fi cer, Ruffennach said he “felt there was a need to do more,” so he began educating students on safety at schools around the area. At fi rst, Ruffennach would give general presentations to students that taught safety lessons. “Everyone likes a fi reman, but a policeman... good luck,” he said. Students often would just be interested in knowing if he had arrested or shot anyone that day, so Ruffennach said he decided to take a different approach. He and a partner created the “Buck and Billy Show,” in which they dressed up as clowns in Keystone Cops uniforms and used their characters to teach children about safety. In 1999, Ruffennach also became a part of SMILE, which stands for Safety Magic in Law Enforcement. The program teaches young audiences’ safety lessons, as well as con fl ict resolution. In 2007, Ruffennach branched out on his Continued on page 42 Magic of safety a good reason for clowning around Mark Ruffennach clowns around about serious subjects. Farm serves history with its vegetables for Valley Mark Schnepf (below, center giving a tour) and his family have been growing crops for 70 years. The harvest today is part of the Schnepf Farms Country Store (above). Photos by Angela Piazza. By Angela Piazza Seventy years ago Jack Schnepf bought more than 600 acres of desert for $25 an acre. He grew cotton until the late 1940s and then planted potatoes to use for chips. The farm grew to 5,000 acres of leased and owned land in the 1970s. Today, Jack’s grandson Mark owns and runs the operation at 300 acres with his wife Carrie. Valley residents reap the bounty of its vegetables, fruits and fl owers, family entertainment and agricultural education. Two big changes planned in the next two years are a community cemetery and a 10-bedroom country inn. “We are creating and leaving a lasting legacy, very few farms will be left for future generations,” Mark Schnepf said. “We are shaping for the future and reconnecting with the soil.” While admission is free, most of the farm’s income relies on its visitors buying produce in addition to produce sold to farmers’ markets. After suffering in the economic downturn as many farms have, Schnepf said last year was better, and he is “looking forward to an even better 2011 especially since it’s the farm’s 70 th anniversary.” The farm features attractions and events, including a petting zoo, hay-ride tour, rides and the U-Pick Garden, where visitors pick their own vegetables. The farm also hosts concerts and school fi eld trips to teach children where their vegetables come from, Schnepf said. Arcadia resident Sheryl Valentiner said her fi rst visit to the farm was prompted by a desire to get out of the city. “Schnepf Farms tries hard to maintain relevance and plan activities and events to educate others on where food comes from and what a farm looks like,” she said. A new event has been added to this year’s calendar. In June, when the farm is normally closed to the public, it will be hosting a U-Pick Extravaganza. The most popular season is in October when the farm hosts its Pumpkin & Chili Party. About 100,000 people visit then. The Queen Creek Peach Festival in May also is a popular attraction, Schnepf said. During the debut of the Peach Festival, the farm’s orchards were completely picked in less than two hours. Schnepf later expanded the farm’s orchards and now is the largest peach farmer in Arizona. To avoid a repeat of an unsuccessful season in 2006 when all the crops died, Schnepf said he used the farm’s geothermal well this year during the Valley’s cold snaps, stationed propane heaters throughout the Continued on page 42

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