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THE PUMPKINS ARE PLANTED!
The seeds are in the ground and many are already up and spreading their first leaves. This time of year is always exciting for us, but stressful. First off, we’re thinking of planting seeds during the night so that the wild turkeys can’t see us. The turkeys will pick each seed out of a row after you have worked all day getting the seeds in the ground! Then, the next question is: will we get the chemical on the new plants prior to the cucumber beetles finding them? You’ve heard about the locust that moved in during Bible times? Well the cucumber beetles move in and eat every leaf in site and this kills the plant. So even though we feel a sense of accomplishment in getting the pumpkins, squash, and gourds planted, the work doesn’t end until we see orange orbs hiding under the pumpkin leaves early in the fall!
Carroll has decided to move the pedal car track! I talked and talked to get him to build the original course back through the trees, but it was too long of a course. So he has pulled it out of the trees, and shortened the track. And we have 4 new pedal cars coming for our Pumpkin Fest 2013…..along with some other new surprises. We’re always surprised at all the visitors who come from Wichita to see our pumpkin patch. With so many things to do, it is an all day event for many of our families. I’ve always said that we’re not just a field of orange pumpkins and we’re not just for kids.
We’re changing some things around here at the pumpkin patch and hope you’ll come see the new ideas and things we’ve created at our Kansas pumpkin patch this fall. The new design for our corn maze is so wonderful this year. It was designed and will be cut by Rob and Rachel Stouffer of Precision Mazes soon. In case you didn’t know (and were afraid to ask), Rachel does the design work in the winter months, we plant the corn, and then Rob comes to cut the design when the corn is about 6″ tall with his GPS equipment.
Opening date is Sept 21st this year and you can see our lineup of events by going to our website: www.walterspumpkinpatch.com. Until next time, we’re shooing off those turkeys and hunting down those cucumber beetles! Oh, and pulling weeds!
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!
