Pumpkin
Patches and More.org
A Visit to a Pumpkin Patch or Corn Maze!
What's it like; what to expect!
If you haven't been to a pumpkin patch, corn maze, apple orchard or Fall Harvest festival at a farm, you don't know what you're missing... and you may want to know what to expect, to plan appropriately! This page will help you see with photos what they're like! The links on the photos take you to the farms where the photos were taken!
Pumpkin patches
There are several types of pumpkin patches:
Pick
in the field
This is what most people prefer - an actual field where the pumpkins grew!
The downside can be... dirt or mud if it just rained. And since the good pumpkins may go early, most farms replenish the field with pumpkins brought in from elsewhere... but the experience is the same! Kids run around looking for the perfect pumpkin out in the field!
Already harvested
This is the most common form of pumpkin patch. Pumpkins just
don't grow everywhere; like south Florida, so pumpkins
are brought in,
either from a local farm or a distance, and laid out or piled up to
choose from. Children love it either way!
Church lawns
Rather self-explanatory; some churches, frequently United Methodists, sponsor a pumpkin patch on their lawn to raise money!
Corn mazes!
If you've never been to a corn maze, you don't know how much fun they are! there are 3 main types!
Daytime maze
These are perfect for families and small children, and cold days!
The corn is a variety that grows 8 or 9 feet tall in good weather and creates a thick , impenetrable maze. The farmer uses a tractor equipped with GPS to cut a pattern of paths into the field. The pattern is usually only visible from the air, but on the ground it is a great maze. They can take anywhere form 20 minutes to an hour to find your way ut. Help is uaually available, if needed, and there are often signs with puzzles to solve or clues.
Nighttime maze
Same
as a daytime maze... but at night with flashlights! A scary but fun
experience. Very popular with teenagers!
Haunted Corn Maze
Ah, now for the real Stephen King fan, a nighttime haunted maze, like a haunted house is the full experience! Definitely not for small children.
Hay
rides
Hayrides come in several forms: tractor-pulled, horse-drawn and wagons. Any are fun, but most people prefer a horse or tractor pulled hayride to a wagon rides. Wagon rides generally don't include hay bales to sit upon.
Cow Trains
No this is not the Chik-Fil-A cows having hijacked a train! Instead, it is a small tractor that pulls a series of one or 2 person cars, like a train without tracks! Loads of fun!
The cow train is popular with all the kids. Adults like me sneak in, too!
Petting Zoos and Farm Animals
Petting zoos are animals, fenced in an area where you can walk among them, feed them and pet them. "Farm Animals" means the animals are present, but you are separated by a a fence and may or may not be able to touch them. If you do touch, be sure to wash your hands afterwards!
The petting zoo has goats, a cow, pigs, chickens, pigs, horses, and more
The goats won't take no for an answer!
Pig Races
Heck,
it's worth the visit to a farm if only for the pig races! The
little guys run pell-mell around the track, at a full scamper, squealing
all the way! They know there's a snack waiting for them at the
end! Everyone
quickly gathers when they announce the next race! Place your bets and
possibly win a prize, or lose your bacon!
Milk a cow?
Yes, indeed! Some farms will even allow you to milk a cow! My 3 year old delighted in milking the cow!
Click here to see a 1 minute movie clip of him milking the cow
Picking cotton or other unusual crops
Farms in different regions may offer something unique to the area, like farms in Georgia and South Carolina that offer a field of cotton to pick!
You can pick your own cotton! It's so soft and fluffy!
