The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Pumpkin patch pays off at Arnprior Farm
DIVERSIFICATION: Family make most of increased popularity of Halloween staple
Halloween has become big business in Scotland in recent years, and one farming family trying to make the most of the trend is the McEwens at Arnprior Farm near Stirling.
Duncan and Rebecca farm 800 acres alongside Duncan’s parents Anne and Duncan.
They planted a small (0.1 acre) pumpkin patch last year to test the market.
Duncan remembers opening up three weeks before Halloween, thinking 10 parking spaces in the steading would be plenty – but within minutes cars were queueing, and they were sold out of 300 pumpkins well before October 31.
This year they have a one-acre patch alongside other attractions and have set aside a silage field for parking.
They only open for the three weekends before Halloween but have made a real feature of the pumpkin patch, where they cut the fruit from the vine and allow families to select their own.
This year they have about 2,500 to sell, varying in size from large grapefruit to medicine ball.
Duncan said: “Wellies are definitely the order of the day but everyone seems to have fun picking their pumpkins, and Rebecca and I really enjoy interacting with the public.”
Arnprior was a Quality Meat Scotland monitor farm for three years. Duncan credits that experience with kick- starting him to travel to New Zealand, take part in the Rural Leadership course and think about diversifying at home.
He said: “Our goal on the farm is to sustain profitability without reliance on subsidies.”
To this end, during the monitor farm process, he sold his herd of 75 suckler cows to concentrate on doubling sheep numbers.
He has also taken on work outwith the farm for one day a week in a technical advisory and sales role with Innovis.
With three young children, Duncan and Rebecca are keen to do their bit to educate the public in farming.
This year, as well as increasing the size of the pumpkin patch, they have developed a ‘dig your own’ potato patch and ‘pull your own’ turnip patch.
A tie-up with Forth Environmental Link has led to cookery demonstrations to show options for the flesh and seeds from pumpkins.
A kale maze, craft stalls, decorated bales, photo booths, face-painting and coffee and hot-food options complete the set-up at Arnprior and have made it a popular family day out.
Duncan said: “Marketing has only been road signs and Facebook, and we cannot believe how it has taken off.
“We have 5,000 likes on Facebook, and a recent post reached 61,000 people.”
Growing the pumpkins in Scotland is a challenge, with most of the agronomy and technical advice only available in America, where most places do not get 60 inches of rain.
Duncan and Rebecca hand plant all the seeds in May and put them in a polytunnel for three weeks before transplanting them into the field.
The key is to have them ready for the second weekend of October.
Duncan admits they are learning as they go.
Everyone seems to have fun picking their pumpkins, and Rebecca and I really enjoy interacting with the public.
DUNCAN McEWEN