NUTS ABOUT PUMPKINS? BATES  NUT FARM HAS GIANT GOURDS, FESTIVITIES & FAMILY FARM FUN

By Miriam Raftery

Leon Thompson

“This one, this one!”  Brendan Robeson of Santee pounces gleefully on a giant pumpkin far too large for his Mom to hoist.

David and Mandy Pumphrey of Murietta used a wheelbarrow to haul their 120-pound pumpkin to the weigh-in station at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center,  where activities between now and October 31 include a straw bale maze, hayride, craft fair, costume contest and yes, even a tower where you can let your kids climb the wall—literally! 

The Pumphreys’ pumpkin was small potatoes, though, compared to the biggest harvested so far this year (184 pounds)—and even that  was dwarfed by Bates’ all-time great pumpkin, which tipped the scales at a whopping 216 pounds.

The fall fest attracts people from all over Southern California.   Phil and Christine Jeffers loaded up their barrow with several giant gourds.  “This is a tradition.  I teach special education,” said Phil Jeffers, who hosts a contest for students to guess the pumpkins’ weight.

Giant pumpkins cost 45 cents a pound, so a 100-pounder would be $45.  If your pumpkin-carving aspirations are more modest, take heart.  There’s a patch of pre-picked small and medium-sized pumpkins for just $5.50 apiece.  Founded in 1921, Bates Nut Farm has been opening its pumpkin patch to the public for decades. A weekend special rate of $8.50 includes jack-o-lantern sized pumpkin plus admission to the straw bale maze and tractor hayride.

Young visitors enjoyed romping through a straw maze, riding ponies, visiting a farm zoo and getting up close and personal with goats, chickens and pigs in a petting corral.  Guests of all ages strolled through dozens of booths where vendors sold crafts ranging from wood carvings to goats’ milk soaps. 

Tempting aromas of kettle corn, funnel cakes and fresh-picked corn barbecued in husks filled the air.   Of course, no visit to Bates Nut Farm would be complete without a stop in the world-famous store.  Be sure to sample fudge at the old-fashioned candy counter.  You’ll also find dried fruits, roasted and salted nuts, including a seasonal favorite: pumpkin seeds.

Upcoming events include a fine arts fair October 10-11, Armed Forces Day October 18-19, Costume Contest October 25, and Doggie Costume Contest October 26.  Additional activities are planned in November and December. 

For more information, visit www.batesnutfarm.biz.

Editor Miriam Raftery is an award-winning writer who has fond memories of her father carving giant jack-o-lanterns.  She’s been nuts about Bates Nut Farm every since.