Words & Photos: Alyssa Crijns, Local First Arizona
If you frequent Valley farmers markets in the summer, you will recognize this scene: The sun is baking the pavement and under the shade of vendors’ tents; fresh produce offerings seem leaner than in the cooler months.
But then you spot something familiar—long, curling and pale green: Armenian cucumbers. You know when you slice into one it will be crisp, juicy and refreshing, an idyllic afternoon snack.
What you might not realize is that Armenian cucumbers represent much more than a tasty treat. As our summers lengthen, they’re one of the emerging solutions deliciously and abundantly feeding our community in the hottest months.
A Family Farm Innovating the Future of Our Food System
It’s quite possible the next Armenian cucumber you purchase will come from Machokoto Family Farms.
At the Spaces of Opportunity community garden in South Phoenix and on plots of land throughout the Valley, Rodney Machokoto, his wife Daphine and their three boys grow pesticide-free tomatoes, onions, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and more.
In addition to farmers markets, the family supplies food banks and schools, aiming to improve access to nutritious, organic vegetables (which they cannot label as organic without achieving expensive certification) for lower-income families.
Recently, they were featured in an episode of “Live to 100: Secrets of Blue Zones” on Netflix and in the documentary “The Story of Arizona’s Good Food” on PBS.
To Machokoto, farming is more than a means of providing fresh food: It is a deeply personal act of resilience and adaptation, an echo of his childhood and a bridge between academic research and real-world solutions.
Lessons in Food Security
Growing up in Zimbabwe, Machokoto’s parents taught him how to farm, and citizens were allowed to grow fruits and vegetables in open spaces. Then a series of land reforms decimated the country’s agricultural industry. He recalls entering stores to buy food only to find the shelves bare.
That experience shaped his belief in the importance of food security—of building communities self-sufficient enough to always feed themselves, which is as relevant in Arizona as in Zimbabwe. The pandemic’s sudden disruption to supply chains in 2020 caused some of Arizona’s rural and tribal towns to experience empty grocery shelves.
“We’ve seen the vulnerability of our food system here,” Machokoto says in the PBS documentary. “But we’re getting to a better place.”
As a board member of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center, Machokoto is directly addressing food security. Started in 2024, the group is led by the economic-development nonprofit Local First Arizona (LFA). It provides grants and one-on-one consulting to farmers, ranchers, food processors and distributors, encouraging sustainably grown crops, thereby strengthening the state’s supply chain.
Machokoto’s own farm has benefited from LFA’s efforts; he was able to buy a push-powered Jang seeder to save time planting.
Currently a PhD student at Arizona State University, Machokoto is also researching how nonprofits can collaborate to improve people’s health by making local, fresh fruits and vegetables more available.
An analytical thinker, the energetic Machokoto was not content being in the classroom. Running his own farm gives him an up-close view of our food system. He’s innovating climate-specific species selection, then affordably growing and distributing to customers—all with his own hands.
He knows a key to making our food system more secure is finding plants that grow well here, especially those that are heat tolerant and require little water.
Thus, he champions the Armenian cucumber, an ancient fruit that thrives in Arizona’s sweltering summers. Unlike traditional cucumbers that struggle in the intense heat, Armenian cucumbers flourish, producing multiple harvests even in the peak of summer when many crops wither.
Known by Many Names, a Cucumber Unlike Any Other
The Armenian cucumber (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus) is actually not a cucumber—it’s a type of melon.
Sometimes called “snake melon,” its long, slender shape has a distinctive pale green and slightly ribbed skin. Some grow nearly straight, while others whorl and form curlicues.
You may also hear the plant called “yard-long cucumber.” At full size, an Armenian cucumber can measure between 30 and 36 inches, though it is most flavorful between 12 and 15 inches.
Unlike common cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers do not require peeling and never develop bitterness or become mushy—remaining crisp and firm even as they grow over a foot long or when they’re made into pickles
Their flavor is mild and subtly sweet, with a hint of melon-like freshness, making them ideal for adding to salads or simply snacking. Machokoto recommends a dash of Tajín® to enliven their delicate flavor.
The Ancient History of the “Queen of Cucumbers”
Though Armenian cucumbers may be unfamiliar to many today, they have quite a storied history.
Esteemed throughout the Mediterranean during Roman times, Pliny the Elder wrote that Emperor Tiberius demanded them on his table at all times, even authorizing the construction of raised beds on wheels that could be optimally positioned for the fruit to grow at any time of year.
In the last few millennia, the plant was mostly cultivated in Armenia (hence the name), but also in Turkey and Iran, where the arid climates shaped its ability to withstand heat and drought, much like other resilient desert crops that have sustained civilizations for centuries.
While traveling in Asia Minor and Syria in the 18th century, Swedish naturalist Fredrik Hasselquist described Armenian cucumbers as the “queen of cucumbers, refreshing, sweet, solid and wholesome.”
Brought to North America by Armenian immigrants, the cucumber found a new home in the similarly dry landscapes of the Southwest, where it continues to thrive.
A Fruit to Feed Arizona
Machokoto’s successful harvests demonstrate that Armenian cucumbers are an environmentally smart, financially savvy year-round choice for Arizona farmers, thanks to their minimal water requirements and ability to withstand extreme heat.
Additionally, they grow quickly and thrive with minimal fertilizers and pesticides, reducing the total cultivation cost per plant and making them a perfect option for organic and regenerative farming practices.
Their crispness and quality even when grown to large sizes is a bonus; in other species farmers often discard oversized produce, as it goes unsold.
The Armenian cucumber’s resistance to heat, drought and disease makes it a model crop for a modern Arizona seeking new methods to increase water conservation and battle rising temperatures.
Cultivating Resilience
Machokoto believes that by growing Armenian cucumbers in Arizona he is not just cultivating a food item; he is planting seeds towards solutions to food security, water conservation and climate adaptation. His work bridges history, culture and science, showing how lessons of the past can inform the future of agriculture in a changing world and feed the next generations.
So the next time you pick up an Armenian cucumber at a farmers market, remember you’re not just buying a refreshing summer treat or salad ingredient. You’re supporting a crop that represents ingenuity, sustainability and a commitment to feeding our community—even in one of the most challenging climates.
Find where to buy locally grown produce near you and learn about water-conscious farming practices by visiting Local First Arizona’s Good Food Finder at www.goodfoodfinderaz.com.
Established in 2003, Local First Arizona is a nonprofit organization fiercely dedicated to driving inclusive community and economic development throughout Arizona. We have created a movement that champions a thriving and diverse economy, fostering community support and an unwavering sense of local pride and purpose in every Arizonan. Our work shapes the future of Arizona by advocating that every individual and community deserves the opportunity to thrive, and that entrepreneurship is at the core of any lasting economy. In rural, Tribal, suburban and urban communities across our great state, Local First is delivering resources to ensure a future focused on economic opportunity for all. Because our state is our story, localfirstaz.com.
