It’s pumpkin season again at Brown Hill Farms.
This weekend, the Lemon Twp. farm reopens its fourth season of fall attractions that bring “old fashioned fun” to people of all ages.
“We have a really exceptional pumpkin field this year. Really nice size, nicely shaped, the colors are great, so we’re happy about that,” said Michele Brown, who manages agritourism at the farm.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Brown said everything has been spread out more for social distancing, but farm goers could expect few changes from previous years overall.
While the corn pit won’t be available, guests can still enjoy the corn maze, hay bale maze and tower, slingshots, cannons, bouncepad, animal area, giant sandbox and play area before snacking on cider donuts.
A new barn on the farm allows the Brown family to sell their pumpkins, squash, gourds and other items in more of a retail setting than before. It will be open to the public on weekends, but customers won’t need to pay farm admission to enter.
This season also has an increased focus on farm education. Every Wednesday, the Browns plan to offer Farm School from noon to 5 p.m. with a different topic each week.
This includes Sunflowers on Sept. 30; What We Eat on Oct. 7; Equipment Day on Oct. 14; What We Grow to Feed Animals on Oct. 21; and Tulips on Oct. 28.
“I knew we weren’t going to be able to have school field trips because they’re going to be overcautious, but I still wanted to be able to offer some kind of learning experience on the farm,” Brown said.
Knowing too that a lot of students are being cyber schooled or homeschooled right now, she wanted to open the farm an additional day to accommodate them.
“I think it’s going to be interesting for adults and kids,” she added.
She never realized how little the general public knows about farming until guests started asking her questions. Some of the questions were shocking, and a lot came from adults, she added.
“I think it’s important for parents nowadays, they want to feel like the experiences they do with their children are valuable and they’re learning,” Brown said.
BROOKE WILLIAMS / STAFF PHOTO
The goats at Brown Hill Farms look forward to seeing you.
Adding to the theme of education, the corn maze this season is a map of the United States with 13 trivia questions spread throughout. Brown said she was just feeling patriotic this year.
“I thought everybody is kind of sitting still, so we could kind of make it a round trip through the United States here,” she said.
This past spring, Brown Hill Farms held its first Tulip Festival, but as a drive-thru because of restrictions with the pandemic.
“It was encouraging with the response that we got. I would say it went as well as could be expected considering the circumstances we were in,” Brown said.
The family just recently wrapped up its annual Sunflower Festival. People were compliant with online ticketing, which she sees as a good sign for the upcoming fall activities.
“We just want to make sure people feel safe here,” she said.
Visit Brown Hill Farms Fridays and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All ticketing is online at brownhillfarms.com, and 250 people will be allowed inside the farm at one time. Check the Brown Hill Farms Facebook page for updates.
Brooke joined the Wyoming County Press Examiner staff as a reporter in December 2018 after graduating from Marywood University. She covers county commissioners, borough councils, township supervisors and school boards in addition to writing lifestyle and business stories. Contact her at 570-836-2123, ext. 36, or bwilliams@timesshamrock.com.
