It was a beautiful day at Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch! Thank you to everyone who came out for the “pick of the patch”. Here are just a few…
We loved having Sundance Farm bring out their ponies again. Rye and Andy are so sweet! Scotty was out pulling his wagon in style too!
Today is the kick-off of the pumpkin patch season for Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch at Johnstown Farm, nestled in the Smoky Valley between McPherson and Lindsborg.There is a beautiful selection of pumpkins and gourds from which to choose. The perfect jack-o-lantern is waiting inside of one of those pumpkins just for you!
Sundance Farm will be with us today from 1-4:00. Horse drawn wagon rides with Scotty in the lead!
Come out to enjoy a beautiful autumn day with your family and play all day. We’ve got plenty of Grammy’s famous cinnamon rolls and cookies fresh from the oven. We are excited to see old friends and make new friends this season!
Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch 2012, McPherson, KSToday’s weather was a surprise gift for us on the farm. In the midst of a drought partnered with scorching heat, God gifted us with an amazing day! When we left our home in McPherson to head to the farm, it was already a very humid 85 degrees. By the time we drove the 10 miles north to Johnstown, it was 74 degrees with a fabulous cool breeze! During the mostly cloudy day, we had light rains on and off. It was such a refreshing time.
We are beginning to truly gear up for the pumpkin patch season–trimming the tunnel, painting signs, etc. We also hauled off a tree that had fallen. There is still a good 9 feet of trunk standing. We are excited to see what Mark Childs, our chainsaw woodcarver, will do with it! Charis and Ben took their job very seriously. They are supposed to be taming the kittens, so that they will be friendly by October. The kids had a great time playing with the kittens on the hill.
We were so thankful for a reprieve from the heat! It was a joy to work around the farm, and it was a reminder that autumn really is just around the corner!!
Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch at Johnstown Farm 2012If you are on our mailing list, or if you live in the Johnstown area, you are aware of the 2nd annual Johnstown Giant Pumpkin contest. Last year we hosted the event for the first time. We invited neighbors from the Johnstown area to try their hand at growing a giant pumpkin. On the evening of the contest, we weighed and measured all the entries. There were prizes for everyone (thanks to Kola Johnson). My favorite part came over supper when stories were shared of relatives and friends “back in the day” Johnstown. Leland brought his guitar and closed out our night with some singing. What a great time to enjoy neighbors and reflect on my heritage and the work, tears, and yes, laughter that went into building up a homestead and small country community.
Well, as a sneak peek, here is our plant that is growing this year’s Johnstown Giant. I admit with this year’s season, our giant could have been planted earlier, but we are still holding out hope for a GREAT BIG entry!
This year’s Johnstown Giant hopeful!
Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch 2012, McPherson, KS
It is the same at Johnstown Farm as it is in all of Kansas – HOT and DRY. Many weeks ago we began our “Save the Pumpkin” campaign. Johnstown Farm has always been dryland farmed (no irrigation systems required). However, these past two summers have gone beyond what any poor seed/sprout/plant can be expected to survive. We began this summer using flood irrigation to get to the pumpkin field, but this past weekend, Kansas conditions beat us, and we installed a drip system irrigation on the field. Hard work, but worth it! Someone joked at an agriculture meeting, “If you want to feel like a successful gardener, grow a pumpkin.” I think they were correct “grow A pumpkin” – not acres of pumpkins. One can be babied, in fact a small crop of them can be babied, but acres of pumpkins…. Right when we think we’ve got a handle on the water, there are bugs, then heat, then weeds….
We are thankful for the irrigation system!
Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch 2012
Johnstown Farm 