THELASTWORD
GUEST COLUMNIST : JEMMA THOMPSON , OWNER
PICK YOUR OWN PUMPKIN , ASHFORD
Autumn is here and it ’ s hard to escape a pumpkin - especially in our house ! Our family farm has been growing pumpkins for Halloween , supplying supermarkets for the past 20 years . In 2014 , we decided to open one of our fields and invite the local community to come and pick their own pumpkin and ‘ Pick Your Own Pumpkin ’ was born !
Alongside my sister-in-law Shona , we run the annual event on weekends and during half term in October . Our aim has always been to keep Pick Your Own Pumpkin simple ; welcoming hundreds of families across Kent to get outdoors and enjoy some technologyfree family time . With wellies on and plenty of mud to enjoy , the game is on to find the perfect pumpkin – although the hardest part seems to be leaving with only one !
For many families this event has become a yearly tradition and it ’ s so nice to see familiar faces coming back to the field year on year . When often asked what the best thing about running Pick Your Own Pumpkin is , for us it ’ s always been getting families outdoors and being part of the memories they make . The wheelbarrow riding , the pictures , the mud escapades , the laughs across the field on a crisp autumn day … All of this makes what we do feel far more than just selling a pumpkin .
Families hunt for hours looking for their prize pumpkin and if they are really lucky , they might come across the ultra-rare golden pumpkin . It ’ s obviously not real gold , as we ’ re yet to find the secret spell to turn pumpkins into gold ( or carriages ) - but if it ’ s found it ’ s worth a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins for free !
Having grown up on a farm and knowing where food comes from , I am keen that others get to experience and understand how and what grows on their doorstep - you ’ ll be surprised by the number of people who ask if we have “ shipped the pumpkins in ”! While we have expanded our range of pumpkins to include different varieties of pumpkins and squash , we have been committed to keep true to our name . People want to pick their own pumpkin , and that ’ s what we offer ( just with a coffee trailer ; after all you can ’ t finish pumpkin picking without a hot chocolate ).
As a local family , we always wanted the event to support a local charity , giving back to our community . We have raised thousands over the years and it ’ s something that I am proud of as it ’ s given some smaller , less well-known charities a chance to tell others what they do , as well as raise vital pennies for their fundraising efforts .
This year we held a vote on social media and our followers chose Club AUsome as our charity for 2023 ( clubausome . appimize . app ). They are based in Kent and support families with children who have disabilities or need additional learning support . They will be on the field this year with us and we are really looking forward to working with them .
We ’ d like to invite you all to come and find your perfect pumpkin ! Our booking link can be found on our website : www . pickyourownpumpkin . farm
Happy Halloween !
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