Dude's Farm filled with activity
PLAINS – Families from across the area started to gear up for Halloween and got into the spirit of the autumn season last weekend at Dude’s Organic Farm in Plains.
The organic farm, owned by Bill and Michele Furry of Plains hosted its first annual Fall Harvest Festival over the weekend, with large crowds braving the damp weather on Saturday, Oct. 10 to seek out a prized pumpkin or take part in some of the other festival festivities.
The rows of bright orange pumpkins provided a stark contrast to the overcast skies of last weekend and children young and old could be seen inspecting the large gourds to see which would best fit for their Halloween decorations.
Ginnie Loveall of Dude’s Organic Farm helped organize the farm’s fall festivities and said she was happy to see the excitement generated by the event.
“We have been steadily busy. There has been a much larger turnout than we expected today,” Loveall said.
Loveall added she was happy the afternoon rain showers did not seem to be scaring anyone off as cars filtered into the farm’s parking lot throughout the afternoon.
In addition to the pumpkin patch, there were several other activities, which drew the attention of young children and their parents throughout the day at the farm.
Fall festival games were available for youths to take part in and there was also a corn maze.
Andrew Ferlan of Plains cut out a corn maze, which was designed earlier by Loveall.
During the fall festival many of the kids in attendance could be seen and heard navigating their way through the maze, excitingly navigating the twist and turns through the rows of corn.
According to Loveall, inspiration for the maze came directly from the Halloween season and the corn maze was laid out in a pattern comprising three pumpkins.
She added though she had enjoyed putting together the various aspects of the fall festival the corn maze was probably her favorite element of the event.
“It’s a blast to go down there and run though the corn maze,” Loveall said.
Though this was the first year of the festival Loveall said an idea for such an event had been in the works for the past few years and over the course of the last year plans had been finalized to hold the first annual event.
Following a successful first day of the seasonal festival the farm is looking to continue the family experience when next year’s harvest season rolls around.
The pumpkin patch at the organic farm will again be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. The farm will also be open on Saturday, Oct. 25.
As its name suggests Dude’s farm is an organic establishment and Loveall said they grow everything on location at the Plains farm.
Along with pumpkins, winter squash and other gourds also made up some of the organic produce available at the fall festival.