Bloom Where You're Planted Farm

Six days into 2011 and I'm finally starting to feel the inspiration that comes with the fresh posibilities of a new year.  I haven't written a blog since fall so there is much to report on.

We had the best pumpkin patch season we've ever had, thanks in large part to the AMAZING weather in October.  We sincerely thank each and every customer who visited the farm this past fall, whether a new guest or a loyal returning visitor.  This was our sixth season, and we celebrated the five-year anniversary of our October 1, 2005 opening day on October 3rd.  Three sky divers from the Lincoln Sport Parachute Club jumped in next to the south pumpkin patch, much to the delight of the many visitors who were on hand to watch.  We also had a face painter and handed out free ice cream treats.  We had a great time showing our customers how much we appreciate their support, which has helped us go from approx. 400 visitors our first year to over 3,800 this year.  It is humbling to think that this many people took time out of their busy schedules to visit our farm.

When the season was over, the pumpkins fed to the cows and goats, and everything put away, we took a short but really relaxing vacation to the Ozarks.  We got to enjoy the late-season fall foliage while we reflected on the past season and began making plans for our seventh Pumpkin Festival in 2011.

Our main focus for the coming season will be making our operations smoother, safer and more convenient for our guests (and ourselves).  This will include rearranging our retail and admissions area, adjusting the hay ride route, and adding more credit card terminals.  We also hope to make some improvements to the barn and make the nature trail even more scenic and inviting.  I'm sure we'll cook up more ideas in the coming months, but these are our thought so far.

We're excited because both of our adult heifers, Molly and Fern, are expecting calves this spring.  Gabby, Jasper & Emmett, our goats who were just 4-5 months old this fall, are growing fast and have thick, bushy winter coats.  The horses also have soft, shaggy winter coats to keep them warm.  Despite staying warm and cozy, I think we're all looking forward to spring!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your New Year is off to a great start.  See you soon at the farm!