The time we failed to pick pumpkins at a farm
It is October. Pumpkin time. Social media is filled with pictures of pumpkins, and more importantly, of family trips to pumpkin patches, so I decided we must go with the Instagram-flow and get our own pumpkin patch pictures. Off to our local Pick Your Own farm we went in search of our own baby and daddy and mummy pumpkins.
It was our first time picking our own produce, so we weren't sure what to expect. Other than of course, some pumpkins and maybe some other vegetables too.
Only, they didn't have any pumpkins. Nought. In fact, no local Pick Your Own farm had any pumpkins. Squashes maybe, a few measly ones awarded by the poor season, but no pumpkins. The nearest pumpkin patch was over 26 miles away. That was a few too many miles to go for just one vegetable.
So no, we didn't get our handpicked pumpkins or the Instagram worthy pictures of an over-excited toddler running between rows and rows of orange. But what we did get was loads of strawberries. A huge amount, thanks to the very late warm weather. They were sweet, and lusciously red, and oh so sinfully sweet, especially when secretly munched in the field...
We picked a few french beans too before it was time to go home. And gosh did they taste amazing when we had them for dinner. Maybe it is the freshness, where you take them practically from field to pot, or the fresh air, or just the fact that it was you that picked them. But they did taste so much more flavoursome than anything we have ever bought before.
And yes, we did get our pumpkins in the end. We picked our Halloween pumpkins, just like most of UK does, from our local supermarket.
Not quite as magical as a pumpkin patch, but hey, it'll look just as fine as a Jack'O'Lantern!
You might also like: Our Sunday at the farm, Autumn walks and muddy bottoms, and Walking the toddler - a trip to Forty Hall
We haven't made it to a pumpkin patch yet this year either, and I don't think we're going to manage to fit it in! We'll pick up some at our schools pumpkin festival tomorrow instead :) Gorgeous photos of your day, even without the splash of orange, and those strawberries do look amazing!
ReplyDeleteA pumpkin festival at school! Now that sounds awesome, I would love if schools over here would do that :) That would make it so much easier :)
DeleteOh dear, that's a shame. The one we've been to before is about 20 miles away, and another I was debating this year is 40+ miles! But they do have a garden centre, farm animals, restaurant and more so it's a full day out. I've found one in the other direction which is about 15 miles away, so I might take N there as we haven't picked any for a couple of years #countrykids
ReplyDeleteHa ha you have got to be a pretty dedicated pumpkin picker to have travelled and contemplated of travelling such distances :D I hope you have a good day, it sounds like they have lots of activities aside pumpkins :)
DeleteA shame not to find a pumpkin patch, but at least you have one to carve and had a good day out. Pumpkins seem to have done so well in our area. We've grown several oversized ones. PYO strawberries are yummy. I think they get the varieties just right. #CountryKids
ReplyDeleteThat's great! Squashes and all pumpkins just haven't grown well over here I hear. I loved PYO strawberries, these were so yummy :)
DeleteNot sure we'll be making it to a pumpkin patch this year. But strawberries sound amazing. Fresh picked produce is simply the best! #CountryKids
ReplyDeleteIt is! It was so incredibly flavoursome, and we are definite PYO converts now!
DeleteWe have a farm shop and pick your own fields just down the road from us but our local pumpkin farm opens next weekend for one week only so it's a mad dash in the first 48 hours to get the best ones. We usually rock up mid week when the Black Friday type behaviour has died down and pick a funny, odd shaped one that has clearly been pushed to one side by everyone else haha. It's great fun though and our toddler now has an appreciation of where food comes from.
ReplyDeletePotty Adventures
#countrykids
Ha ha I bet! I can imagine all the parents that have got their Instagram lenses on, just rushing to get their pumpkin photos out of the way :D It it really important for kids to learn where food comes from - we are also thinking maybe it could help our daughter get a bit more excited about eating veggies. I hope :)
DeleteWhat a shame that you didn't manage to go and pick your own pumpkins, there aren't any pumpkin patches near me either. It's fab that you managed to find some other treasures to take home with you instead, those strawberries look so juicy and delicious. Your daughter looks like she had a fab time picking the fruits and vegetables, I bet she ate all her french beans up that night!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with me on #CountryKids.
These strawberries were the best! She did enjoy it, well, mostly she was just running around and picking dandelions, but it seemed she enjoyed it :D But we had fun and I hope she will get into it next year too :) Thanks for hosting!
DeleteSorry you didn't get to pick a farm pumpkin. It looks like y'all still had a great time exploring the farm. #countrykids
ReplyDeleteIt was great fun! Again next year :)
DeleteThat happened to us one year, so this week we travelled 20 miles down the road to find some! Pumpkins seem to be everywhere in the shops, but nothing quite beats seeing them in a field. Good luck hunting them down next time. The strawberries look yummy xx #countrykids
ReplyDelete20 miles - wow, that is some dedication :D I don't think I'd be able to justify it considering we can walk to a supermarket in 10 minutes to pick as many pumpkins as we want :D Oh well, maybe one day!
DeleteWe don't seem to have pumpkins up here in north lancs either! I've not done pick your own here either. Agree that fresh picked beans are the best though and you can never go wrong with strawberries! #countrykids
ReplyDeleteThe peas were amazing! They were packed with flavour, the best beans I've ever had. So I think we might do this more regularly next year.
DeleteWe didn't go to a pumpkin patch but we did find a pumpkin farm. I must admit, I did it mostly for the photo opportunity. I blame IG! You might not have found pumpkins but you got some gorgeous photos and hopefully enjoyed your day just as much. #CountryKids
ReplyDeleteHa ha. I don't even like pumpkins that much as food. But I am feeling we are going to have lots of pumpkin things to eat this autumn as I've gone a bit overboard with decorations :D I hope you got good photos! :)
DeleteYou have the loveliest photo! The light is just amazing and of course the angle and the view =) #countrykids
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, that is such a lovely thing to say :)
DeleteI have never visited a pumpkin farm either.I keep meaning to look up where we can go but we probably won't get round to it as we've already planned half term.I think that you got to pick your own fruit and veg is a win.Over from Country Kids.
ReplyDeleteAh yeah, if you already have lots of plans then I guess you'll have to leave pumpkins till next year :) PYO is fun though :)
DeleteAh never mind about the pumpkins, looks like a lovely trip - gorgeous photos and you did well with the strawberries! :) #countrykids
ReplyDeleteThis was our first visit to a PYO farm and we really enjoyed. Definitely going back next year :)
DeleteI have no idea where our nearest pumpkin patch is so we'll be picking ours at the supermarket too! I'm so amazed that you could still get strawberries at the pick your own though - and yes they do taste sinfully sweet when tasted whilst picking them! Love the photo of your daughter holding her dandelions :-) #countrykids
ReplyDeleteI was really surprised there still were so many strawberries, and good ones too. The taste was especially good as there was lots of signs saying eating at the field is forbidden :D
DeleteLovely photos. we've been to a pumpkin patch last year and it was a good fun but, we've moved down south and I don't think we have somewhere close enough to us. x
ReplyDelete#countrykids
Yeah there aren't many down south, and also, it seems more of an American thing to do - I think it hasn't picked up that much here in UK, yet, so pumpkin farms are few and far between.
Delete