​The Pumpkin Patch Idea

The idea of a pumpkin patch began around 2008.  Fall has always been our favorite season.  Our entire family has fall birthdays; Abbey in September, Derek in October and Lilley in November.  Derek and Abbey also got married in the Fall.  So the joy of the Fall season has been engrained into us our entire lives and what is more iconic to fall than pumpkins!

The Property

The property that the hosts the pumpkin patch caught Derek's eye dating back to the early 2000's when it first hit the market.  At that time, he was in college and looking to follow his childhood passion of farming and living in the country.  During this time, several deals fell through on the property due to inaccessibility of an entrance onto the property, so the property sat and was used as a hayfield for the years to come.  Flash forward roughly 20 years; Derek decided the time was right to pursue his land interest.  He made a few phone calls and it was determined that the property could have an entrance added with some modifications to the geography of the property.  So, with that all clear, the negotiations began and the property was purchased in September 2020 (another Fall date to add to the list)!

The Transformation

Now that the property has been purchased, the transformation into a pumpkin patch could begin!  The first thing on the list was getting roadway access to the property.  We hired a local company to bulldoze roughly 1 acre to lower the terrain so a safe line of sight could be made.  This allowed a driveway to be put in and it would be safe to enter and exit the property.  

The Big Blue Box

The "big blue box" was purchased to offer secure storage, as well as a retail space for the pumpkin patch.  The storage container was modified to include an entry door and a "sale window".  The container was completely painted and has become the hub of the pumpkin patch.

What's With the Fan?

A lot of questions have been asked about the "fan blades" mounted to the container. With the lack of available on-grid power to the property, we installed a wind turbine to generate the electricity needed on the property. The wind turbine is a 400W system that generates 12V power, which charges a battery pack. The battery pack power in converted to standard 120V power using a power inverter. So all of the power we currently use is provided by the wind!

Time to Plant

Starting in December, we started reviewing the large variety of pumpkin seeds available.  We chose a variety of pumpkin and gourd seeds to plant, over 5,500 seeds in fact!  As spring approached, we began mapping out the property and drawing out plans for the fields.  Starting in April, we started turning the soil of the longtime hayfield.  We put in five fields, so we could minimize cross pollination with the assortment of pumpkins and gourds we planted.  Once the weather was cooperative, we began the thankless job of hand planting and hand watering all of the seeds.  

So, that's the start of The Pumpkin Patch Story.  We look forward to continuing our story with all of our customers each and every fall!