Bethany Beach Pumpkin Picking
October 17, 2019 at 3:33pm |
Tis the season for pumpkin picking, hayrides, and corn mazes. Before you head to the farm, make sure you’re prepared with the right shoes. Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are recommended on farms. With so many varieties of pumpkins, it’s hard to tell which is the best to bring home. For example, the color of your pumpkin will tell you a lot. A dark-colored pumpkin is recommended and means it is in its prime stages for picking. In addition, a dark green stem is a good indicator that a pumpkin is ready to be picked. If you tap the pumpkin, make sure you hear a deep, hollow sound. The louder the echoing, hollow sound, the better the pumpkin. Finally, inspect the pumpkin for bruises or holes on its surface. Open cuts in a pumpkin will cause it to rot faster than a pumpkin without any blemishes.
Famer Girl Exotic Gardens opened in 1970 by Mary Rash, the daughter of a farmer from Kent County, Delaware. Farmer Girl offers the unique experience of picking pumpkins by the sea and stocking up on autumn decor.
(Credit: Farmer Girl Exotic Gardens)
Loblolly Acres is a family farm in its third generation, busting with everything you could want for a day of fall fun. Loblolly has a beautiful pumpkin patch, straw bales, a straw maze, corn pit, slide, petting zoo and offers a scenic hayride.
(Credit: Loblolly Acres)
Bobola Farm & Florist carries decor for fall, as well as mums, pumpkins, straw bales, and corn stalks. Bobola also offers a wagon ride, pumpkin patch and corn maze. Bobola Farm & Florist is located at 5268 Forrest Ave.
Don’s Tree Farm began in 2008 when the Hallowell purchased a 23-acre farm. They planted 1,000 trees the year after opening and continued to plant more and more trees every year, of different varieties.
Mr. Pepper’s Pumpkin Patch offers U-Pick pumpkins, hayrides and a two-acre jungle corn maze. Mr. Pepper’s is located at 13500 Laurel Road.
In operation since 1995, the pumpkin patch at Ramsey’s Farm is beloved in the community. Visitors can travel around the world in their 8-acre corn maze, and if you get lost in the maze, you will learn about agriculture, farmers, and food around the world. The hayride at Ramsey’s gives visitors an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Autumn, and their beautiful farm. Ramsey’s also has an area set up for pumpkin painting and decorating. In fact, a painted pumpkin lasts longer than a carved pumpkin.
(Credit: Ramsey’s Farm)
Regardless of its name, Coleman’s Christmas Tree Farm also offers autumnal activities, including hayrides and a pumpkin patch. There are also bonfires at night at the farm. Coleman’s Christmas Tree Farm sits on a 330-acre farm that is family-owned and operated. Coleman’s began in 1932, but it wasn’t until 1955 when the first Christmas trees were planted. By the 1980s, Coleman’s was growing U-Pick Christmas trees and pumpkins. Coleman’s is also well-known by visitors for their delicious ice cream. Pumpkin season begins in late September and runs through Halloween. Coleman’s is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Credit: Coleman’s)
Fifer’s Farm and Country Store sits on 300 acres of land and offers U-Pick pumpkins, as well as apples and sunflowers. Fifer’s Country Store is stocked with fall vegetables, fruits, fresh apple cider, doughnuts, pies, and apple butter. Every Saturday starting September 21, Fifer hosts Fall Fest Saturdays, which includes a pumpkin patch, U-Pick apples, farm tours, and local food. If pre-picked apples aren’t for you, at Fifer’s, there is a tractor and wagon shuttle to the orchard to pick apples. You will receive an empty bag upon arriving at the orchard, and then catch a return shuttle wagon once you’ve stocked up. Additionally, children can paint pumpkins and get lost in the 6-acre corn maze. Fifer’s began in 1919 when Charles Frederick Fifer started a farm in Delaware to pursue his passion for growing quality vegetables and fruits. Today, Fifer’s farm sells its products to grocery stores including Wegmans, Giant, Whole Foods, Walmart and Safeway. Fifer also sells its produce to local food stores, local farm stands, Delaware schools, local restaurants, and weekly Farmer’s Markets.
(Credit: Fifer’s Farm and Country Store Facebook)