Pumpkin Patches

[MidnightPatrol]

There seems to be a new trend of ‘pumpkin patches’ popping up all over the place. I’ve seen a few advertised this week.

Now… none of these places to my knowledge grow pumpkins. So they have just put some pumpkins in a field.

Sometimes there seem to be some Halloween decorations too, but mainly just piles of pumpkins.

I am all for fun days out but… I don’t get it.

Most of them don’t even look very instagrammable (which I assumed was the point). Just… pumpkins on the ground.

Surely this activity would take 2-3 minutes?

Hand and footprints fine- not a bum! That is abuse

Besides when do people stop displaying their kids orange bum prints?

Farmers daughter here..... the only rich farmer I know is one who sold loads of land to a housing company for new builds. He made millions. Sadly, none of it from farming the land.

There was a bottle of salad cream with a Halloween theme on the front 😆 I mean salad cream... really!

I bet you're fun at parties.

It's an autumn activity for kids. No need to be so vitriolic about it. Just makes it a bit more fun than getting them at Asda.

Our local place grows them and then outs them all in one field. Kids enjoyed for a few years when small. No desire to go back now they're older!

I actually had a 'pumpkin patch' last year - I was given a seedling that went mad, and my garden went all pumpkin! I can confirm this year has been a terrible one - the slugs have taken all my seedlings.

On my honeymoon in the US, we accidentally ended up in a pumpkin patch and were really baffled - 'oh yes, lovely pumpkins. And more lovely pumpkins.'

It was the 1990s, I have pics somewhere... #DifferentTime

I like to mark the seasons with my child. I think it's important for children to feel the rhythm of each passing year, learn about the cycle of life, learn about our culture and traditions, and be part of things in their community.

In October we go pumpkin picking at a local farm that grows their own. It's a fab day out. The kids love running wild in the hay bales and getting hot chocolates. It's nicer than just picking up a pumpkin from the supermarket. We do that for cooking but the pumpkin we pick from the farm has the honour of being carved.

We also do the following activity each month:

November has fireworks night.
December is Christmas.
March-May we do spring and Easter activities. Easter egg hunts at the local national Trust gardens, see the lambing at the local farm etc.
In late spring/early summer we go fishing in local ponds and reservoirs and inspect the sticklebacks and tadpoles in jam jars before letting them go. We keep visiting to see them becoming frogs.
September is bramble picking season. We pick lots of brambles to make crumble at home.

I love every single activity we do throughout the year. Children love these activities so much.

You’re quite behind the times; this has been a thing for years!

We go to a local farm shop that does actually grow them. You have to detach them from the plant so you know they've been grown there!
Only charge for the pumpkins you buy too, reasonably priced. No ticket cost.

I wonder if I could do one in my back garden and charge £5 each. 😁

No I don't have a big back garden, but I've got various broken vintage garden things I could put around for atmosphere.

I'm going tomorrow, will be a morning out of the house with my 2.5 year old. Will be meeting my friend's newborn too, lovely wholesome day out!

The one nearest to me is genuine. I enjoy watching the crop grow through the summer as I pass through on the footpaths. In recent weeks the crop has been moved from the swamp-prone clay fields to a section that's been grassed.

They've grown less this year due to the non-spring and the crop is on the higher, better drained land. Other fields have been left fallow or with their standard crop range.

Then get Xmas themed stuff soon. Remember seeing Kellogg’s corn flakes having Santa on them! What’s so Christmasy about bloody corn flakes?

I also enjoy other super basic seasonal activities such as Easter egg hunts, strawberry picking, going to garden centres to look at Christmas decorations and choosing a Christmas tree!

I don't know how picking up a pumpkin from a field where it's been placed after being bought originally from Tesco qualifies as an activity, though?

Those people saying there's lots to do, what is there to do other than walk into a field, pick up a pumpkin and maybe have a coffee?

Look at the link I posted and see it it changes your mind.

The one I went to had tractor rides, jumping off bales of hay, several slides they had constructed, a climbing frame, huge tractor tyres to climb over, wheelbarrows for picking up the pumpkins and giving each other rides on. The pumpkins were growing in the field, zero from Tesco.

Plus all the food and drink.

So plenty.

I've always wanted to go to one of these. Prob nearer to Halloween though once I've got my fancy dress ordered!! Wonder if anyone does an evening one with fairy lights. Love a fairy light!

Had a google for future reference. Stouslie Farm in the Borders is running a pick your own pumpkin patch.

Re diversification comments by PP, I see they also have accommodation there - with hot tubs. And you can apparently buy home grown meat for the freezer from their farm shop too.

So it seems like a family farm who have diversified to keep the place viable, like so many are having to do as there is so little money in farming nowadays.

Their website says the events are as follows, booking via Eventbrite at just under a tenner per car not per person, so that aligns with what other people are saying about it's more like a day out kind of thing:

There will be lots to see and do at The Patch including…

Straw bale mountain

Marshmallow toasting

Photo Opportunities

Pop up farm shop

Archery (suction cup)

Bean Bag Toss

Jump in... Straw pit

Food and drinks

Fun family games

Pumpkin trail

Beat the Ghoulie (...goalie)

PYO Pumpkin

DH works in the agriculture industry and knows lots of local farmers, one does a pumpkin patch every year and we always go along with the DC’s. The pumpkins are definitely grown there, and they dress up their tractors in a spooky theme and have refreshments and other activities for the kids to do.It’s good fun and they also sell some of their other produce.