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Howell’s did not start out as a typical pumpkin patch. It began its days in the early 1900s as a regular farm, growing corn, beans and raising livestock. Around 1985, Fred Howell saw a better way to make money off of his land, and that’s when he decided to start raising flowers, specifically for dried flower arrangements.

“We started out selling the flowers at craft shows, and then eventually we didn’t need to go to craft shows anymore because people started coming to us,” the daughter of owner, Erin Howell said.

The Howell family decided to continue expanding from there. In 1995, they opened up the gift shop in their family’s barn to sell what they were growing in their greenhouses. This was the first time the family opened up their doors to the public, and with the great response they got, they decided to go further. Four years later, they opened up Howell’s Pumpkin Patch.

The pumpkin patch started out with just pumpkins and a corn maze but has now grown to include 20 different games and activities. These include family favorites such as the giant slide, wagon rides, mud pies and two-seater trikes.

“Back when I was growing up here, my playground was a sandbox and jungle gym, and now the kids that visit here have way more to do and much cooler things to do,” Howell said.

GV English Professor Bobbi Olson has been to Howell’s Pumpkin Patch two years in a row.

“We went back to Howell’s this year because there was a lot of activities for kids of any age to do,” Olson said. “The staff was very nice, and my family had a lot of fun there, so it will probably be a tradition of ours going forward.”

Howell’s Pumpkin Patch is open all year round, and their workload changes depending on the season, but September and October tend to be their busiest months.

The family starts to set up for their fall season right after the Fourth of July and works tirelessly to get it all ready by the first week of September. Once September hits, the family is hard at work entertaining guests and guiding local school trips.

If you’re interested in learning more about Howell’s Pumpkin Patch, you can visit howellspumpkins.com.