Annual Pilgrimage to the Pumpkin Patch

Every year, weeks before Halloween, we take a half-day pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch. Our local pumpkin farm is so festive that we usually go twice each season – once as a family and again with friends. Years ago, I was even brave enough to chaperone a field trip with super-enthusiastic elementary school students who could not have been prouder of their pumpkins plucked right out of the patch.

Pumpkins are bright globes of cheer against the muted shades and foreboding weather of autumn. And kids from toddlers to teens never tire of annual visits to pumpkin farms. While some farms keep things as simple as a roadside patch and pay station, others go all out and create a full harvest festival with animals, rides, bakeries and shops. No matter how fancy the farm, a visit to the pumpkin patch is good for the soul. It’s an opportunity to slow down and enjoy time in nature, take in the wide-open views and enjoy the crisp fall air in fields dotted with pumpkins in all shapes and sizes.

Visit a local pumpkin farm every harvest season so your kids can witness the transformation of seeds planted in late spring into fields overflowing with produce. Supporting locally owned farms feels great and helps connect your family with nature and each other. Here’s how to make the most of each and every trip:

Plan Ahead

Check websites of local pumpkin farms in advance. Subscribe to farm
newsletters to stay abreast of announcements. You cannot control the
weather, but you can try to visit on discount days, if your farm has any.
Expect the farm to get increasingly busy as Halloween draws near, and plan
accordingly. If you must go on peak days, arrive early to beat crowds and
get the best parking. If your local pumpkin farm has a loyalty program, be
sure to sign up. Leave strollers, pets and food at home and bring plenty of
cash to purchase delicious seasonal snacks like kettle corn, caramel apples
and fresh doughnuts.

Bring friends

Spread your love of local farms by bringing friends to the pumpkin patch.
What’s great about going back year after year is that you get to watch your
children become old enough to try things they’ve looked forward to doing,
like braving the haunted hay maze or driving the pedal carts. You might
leave some activities behind as the years go by, like the petting zoo or
the kiddy playground, and that’s okay. Just be sure to choose a farm that
has age-appropriate activities for your kids and their guests. You can
always visit more than one farm throughout the weeks-long harvest season.

Expect to get dirty

Don your blue jeans, flannels and rain jackets because you are going to the
country! Expect rain and mud and you cannot go wrong. Hiking boots or rain
boots are your best footwear for the farm. Portable umbrellas with hand
straps are helpful if you have them. Or, if you will be out in the sun all
day, you may need sunscreen for your face, neck and arms. Toss a few beach
towels in a bag in case you need to wipe off afterwards or cover car seats.
They can also protect your car from muddy pumpkins on the ride home.

Make a day of it

Purchasing a full-day, all-activity pass rather than individual tickets is
usually the best value for your money. A petting zoo, a hay or corn maze,
hayrides, face painting, food and entertainment are all possibilities. If
your children are different ages, parents can split up to find
age-appropriate activities and then meet up later for a bite to eat or to
hit the pumpkin patch. Many working farms make a big chunk of their annual
income during harvest season. So why not purchase some produce before you
leave?

Take photos

You are unlikely to find as many photo ops anywhere as you will find at the
pumpkin patch. Try getting down low in the patch and shooting upwards. Also
try standing on something and shooting downward. Take shots yourself or
hand your camera to a friendly passerby to capture your happy group. You
are after fun shots, not perfect shots. And don’t forget candids. You can
click three times per pose and edit out the duds later. If you know kids
will tire out, get photos early on and then put the camera away and enjoy
the day.

Take breaks

At some farms, you will find as many activities as an amusement park! Let
kids get their ya-yas out on the playground before you expect them to wait
patiently in lines. If the things you want to do are on opposite ends of
the property, be prepared to build in some downtime, especially if you plan
to stay all day. Grab your beach towels or bring a blanket, because you can
usually find a shady spot under a tree where younger children can regroup
with a nap or a little quiet time.

How to Pick A Pumpkin

Avoid harvesting pumpkins after a frost. Find out when the first frost of
the season is predicted in the DMV and get your pumpkins at least two weeks
prior.
Select pumpkins according to your needs. Is your pumpkin for cooking or for
decoration? Cooking pumpkins are smaller and more solid than carving
pumpkins.
Grab a wheelbarrow or a wagon if your farm provides them. This is no time
for pride, which will evaporate once you get halfway out into the field.
If you have a wagon or wheelbarrow, pick any size pumpkins you like. But if
each child has to carry his or her pumpkin, help them select a manageable
size.
Choose a carving pumpkin that feels firm and heavy for its size when you
pick it up.
Pumpkins do not continue to ripen after they are picked, so choose a
pumpkin that is uniformly orange with a nice, thick stem and not at all
green.
A green stem indicates a freshly harvested pumpkin. Stems can be fragile,
so do not lift or carry pumpkins by them.
Avoid any pumpkins with soft spots, brown spots, holes, cracks, splits,
wrinkles or mold. The pumpkin shell should be uniformly hard to the touch
all the way around the pumpkin. Be sure to check the bottom and the side
that was on the ground.
Round or oval-shaped pumpkins are easier to carve and are full of seeds you
can scoop out and roast.
Put your pumpkins on a flat surface before you bring them home to make sure
they will sit pretty without rolling over. Haul in a few extra pumpkins
from the patch just in case you have some rejects.
Newer varieties of decorative pumpkins have a range of colors, shapes and
warts. When unsure about quality, have a salesperson inspect your
selections before you pay.
Carved pumpkins last about two weeks. Once pumpkins start to decay, chop
them up and add them to your compost.

If you would like a volume of pumpkins to last until Thanksgiving, purchase
less expensive pumpkins from your local grocery store right before
Halloween, once they go on sale, and do not carve them.

Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

As everyone is carving pumpkins, offer a large bowl or pot for pumpkin
pulp. When the bowl is half full, loosen the seeds with your hands and fill
the pot to the three-quarters mark with water. The seeds will rise to the
top. Squeeze them through your fingers to remove any clinging pulp as you
transfer them to a colander to rinse again. Then spread them on paper
towels and pat dry. Set your oven for 325 degrees and transfer seeds to
cookie sheets in single layers. Sprinkle each pan of seeds with a
tablespoon of olive oil and a few shakes of salt. Turn seeds with spatula
every eight minutes until crispy on the outside and golden on the inside.
Estimated roasting time is 20-30 minutes but do not let seeds turn brown.
Remove roasted seeds from oven, cool and enjoy. Store leftovers in an
airtight container at room temperature for up to two months.