Why do some people go to the store and grab a pumpkin? With little kids, it is such a great adventure to go out and pick your own from the field, something that should not be missed!
Tracy, myself, and my boys - Dylan 2, Carter 4 - took off to grab pumpkins one Saturday afternoon in early October. It was a nice less than hour drive for us up to Sherman Farms, where we arrived too early to pick pumpkins. A failing of our early-rising family is that we are often arriving at places and waiting for them to open! So with 45 minutes to kill, we took a nice drive around the historic Ebey's Praire. All the fields have signs that identify the crops growing in the fields. At this time of year, several of the fields were already harvested, but it was still fun to read while driving and see what is grown in that area. Two minutes down the road, you hit water - the road dives off the bluff and there is a little park on the right. The beach there is long and gravelly, and there are signs giving directions to several trails through the historic area and to the historic blockhouse. But that was another trip, this trip was about Pumpkins!
Now that Sherman's farm was open, we came in and started looking at all the produce and items for sale in the little farm store and told the nice manager that we wanted to pick pumpkins. It seemed like a nice family operations, from younger teenagers through a couple generations older helping out with the store, putting out produce, and firing up the tractor for the ride to the pumpkin field!
The Sherman's fired up their huge Tonka tractor - since we arrived right as they opened, we got the honor of the first tractor ride of the day!
The kids loved the ride in the tractor out into the middle of the pumpkin field. We had bought a pumpkin each, so he pulled the tractor out down a side tract, then we piled out of the wagon to each find the perfect pumpkin for Halloween!
Of course, Dylan had a different strategy, which was grab every pumpkin he could find and make a big pile.... two-year-olds have their own wisdom.
After gathering up and limiting to one each, we took the tractor back across the fields to the farm store/shack. I could not resist buying a couple extras - two "sweet meat" pumpkins and a very large Hubbard Sugar Squash.
It was a great experience with the whole family having a great time! And did I mention the price? $4 each per pumpkin, $5 for the giant Hubbard? Economical as well!
Don't forget your camera to capture priceless photos of your children!
