FREEZE WARNINGS TONIGHT IN KANSAS!
I had so hoped that we’d move right on into spring after the Easter storms, but that’s not going to be this year. I imagine we’ll lose our peach crop, and some of the apples with the cold tonight here at Walters Pumpkin Patch. I’m thankful that my living for the year does not hinge on a peach crop, and I extend my empathy to those who do.
We’re already working on the fall attractions and products we will be offering at our Kansas agritourism facility this fall. Carroll has built a wonderful new track for the Hoppy Horses, and went to get asphalt chips today to move the pedal car track. New cars are being added as well. As for our gift shop and pantry building, there will be all sorts of new dips and drink mixes, soups and breads, and so many fall eating delights! It is an exciting time of dreaming and starting the process at our Kansas pumpkin patch.
And of course, by the time I write again, we’ll probably have the giant pumpkin seeds in the ground. I just got the final seed company order today so all my seeds are accounted. We just need some warmer weather!
We’ll be heading to the Old Town Farmers Market for the first market on May 4th in Wichita, Ks. This farmers market is so much fun, with great vendors, great attendees, and great products. Hope to see you all there this summer.
Until next time…..I’m dreamin’ about the Patch.
Pumpkin Fest 2013!
We just got home from our annual NAFDMA conference which was held in Portland, Oregon this year. So much information and so many new ideas are floating through our heads. One member said, “NAFDMA is like drinking from a fire hose”! So true…..
One of the ideas we picked up at the conference (and also saw something similar at the Dallas wholesale market) were these fabric pumpkins with stems from the dried pumpkins that are just laying in the field right now. Hope the cattle haven’t trompled all the stems for our new creations!
We have received one of our new attractions though. Take a look below at this! You hit the striker with a mallet and if you ring the bell at the top, you can win a prize. The one on the left is for our smaller pumpkin pickers; the one on the right is for our daddy-sized pumpkin pickers. Can hardly wait for our visitors to try out the new strikers! We’re also adding a tug of war attraction that Carroll will be building…………everyone is going to have to bring their muscles this year.
Until next time….we’re down in the patch beginning the transformation into Pumpkin Fest 2013!
Walters Pumpkin Patch…end of season for 2012
Such a great photo from Janet Post of Burns, Kansas winning our first photo contest at Walters Pumpkin Patch. You can see the second and third place winners and all our honorable mention photos on the Walters Pumpkin Patch facebook page. Thank you all who entered and took their time and abilities to share their photos with us. It was rathering amazing that Carroll and I both ranked this photo of Janet’s grandkids as our top pick. Again…..thank you all.
We just sent off the check for the partial payment for one of the new attractions for Pumpkin Fest 2013! See we never do quit thinking about our Kansas pumpkin patch. And the older we get, the longer it takes for us to get ready for the next season. It seems that we just get things put away and it’s time to drag them back out! Mother always said that the older I got, the faster time would fly…..boy, was she right.
To all our agritourism friends on the East coast who had to close early because Hurricane Sandy was coming your way…..it’s so hard to farm whether you are a traditional farmer or an agritourism farmer. Weather is the ultimate determinator as to if you’ll have any money after the end of the growing period. Regardless of your hard work and know-how, the weather will thrust you forward or drag you down. To each of you I pray that the bills will get paid and that you will continue on your path to feed and/or entertain our country. Our Midwest has its tornadoes, and you have your hurricanes….thank goodness each of you remained safe.
Well, it’ll probably be awhile until I blog again, so we sincerely hope that the upcoming holidays will be filled with love and laughter of family and friends….and alot of pumpkin! Thank you all for a wonderful Pumpkin Fest 2012. Hope to see you next year! Becky & Carroll
