Four of us visited a nearby pumpkin farm this morning for a couple of hours. The pumpkin patch is free to wander. Lots of folks buy their Jack-o'-lantern at the farm, both as a fun activity in choosing the pumpkin and as a way to support the farm so it can continue each year.
There are several activities at the farm that are now behind a paywall. Most of these activities used to be free. But in efforts to make their farm sustainable from year to year, they've needed to charge a fee for these same activities.
My family chooses to skip the paid experiences. Our enjoyment of the farm doesn't hinge on doing the tractor ride, trying the apple cannon, or playing the games. We love wandering the pumpkin field as far as it goes and looking at all of the different shapes and sizes.
We also don't buy any pumpkins there, as they're priced significantly higher than those at the grocery store.
And we skip the concession stands. They sell donuts, coffee, kettle corn, cookies, and cotton candy. Instead, we bring a thermos of spiced tea and a homemade treat from home. They have picnic tables set up in several spots at the farm and are not opposed to visitors bringing in outside food.
My dilemma has always been that this is a small, locally-owned business, and I want to help them stay in business.
My answer has been to buy something from the gift shop, even though those items are overpriced for what they are, too. Since my son and daughter-in-law have birthdays next month, I've made a practice of buying a gift or two for them while visiting the farm. It's often a jam or jelly that I don't make or local honey or a handcrafted candle. This year I chose a jar of locally made, small-batch preserves for them.
I have a hard time spending money on activities that I am not very interested in trying. But I will spend the same amount of money or even more to buy a gift for someone else, especially if that item is consumable. Buying a pumpkin, spending money on an activity, or shopping in the gift shop are all viable ways to support the farm.
From a frugal standpoint, this was a double win. I supported the farm and came away with one of the gifts I had already budgeted to buy. My birthday kids will genuinely enjoy the gift, and once eaten, it won't add clutter to their home. I supported local agriculture and stayed true to a frugal mindset.
I completely understand someone else's choices. If someone were to choose the paid activities as a way to support the business, that could make sense, too. Buying a ticket for the apple cannon won't create clutter at home and may make the entire visit more enjoyable. Choosing your pumpkin in the field and carrying it home is definitely a richer experience than choosing a pumpkin at the grocery store.
I don't really think one way to support a small, local business is better than another. And I believe the farm understands this. I don't think they believe most families will come to the farm, pay for premium activities, buy snacks and drinks, choose their pumpkin(s), and buy items from the gift shop. I believe they are offering a selection of ways to support their farm, and leaving it to the customer to decide which way to proceed. I made the choice that most suits my family's style.
What would you choose in this situation if you wanted to financially support the business? Would you try a paid activity, buy snacks, buy your pumpkin, or buy something from the gift shop? I'm genuinely curious what other frugal people would choose.
This is a very personal question since there are probably as many different reasons for going to the farm as there are visitors. I am more drawn to activities than buying things if I can get them at a much lower price somewhere else. So unless I had planned to do something, I probably wouldn't go. We have one of those farms near us and they are so busy, I don't think they would miss my business. However, I hear they have the best cider donuts in the state. Ever since I heard that, I've been thinking about those donuts. I may have to stop buy and get one.
ReplyDeleteHowever, across the street from the themed farm, there is another farm that I do try to buy produce from occasionally because the son has taken over from his parents and he's trying to make the farm profitable again.
Good morning, Live and Learn. I think your reasoning makes a lot of sense for you. The activities can enrich the experience of going to the farm. I do really like the idea of patronizing other, less commercial farms to buy produce. You know we order our beef from an independent rancher. It's expensive, but to me it's worth it knowing we're helping their family make a living apart from the big beef conglomerates. And the beef tastes better, especially the ground beef.
DeleteI've had a cider donut once in my life. I was underwhelmed, and I'm a big donut fan. Maybe I just haven't had one of the good ones. I hope you have a chance to stop by just for a donut.
Much of my childhood, my father was a hunter and venison was our main source of meat. During my high school years, we would go together with a couple of other families and butcher a couple of cows. (BTW, they were raised by one of the families.) We would go to the farm after school and help with the butchering. At the end of the night, they'd fry up some of the hamburgers for everyone to eat. I'm not a big hamburger person, and not a big meat person, but I loved those fresh hamburgers. They really did taste better.
DeleteI think there is something to cattle being raised well resulting in better tasting beef. I notice it most in ground beef. Thanks for sharing your memory, Live and Learn.
DeleteMy sister and I went to a local pumpkin patch a couple weeks ago, and it was much as you described, with a few free things and the rest behind a paywall. I will say that the apple cannon certainly looked fun! We enjoyed walking around and looking at the pumpkins and everything in the general store. I bought one small pumpkin for $4. That was my choice in how to support them. I didn't think their pumpkin prices were much more than the grocery store, as I haven't seen any great pumpkin deals around here.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina,
Delete$4 for a pumpkin doesn't sound too high. And that was part of how you enjoyed the pumpkin patch while supporting the farm. Good job! I hope you and your sister enjoy he pumpkin patch!
We too have a local pumpkin patch that was a super fun annual excursion for my two (now adult) kiddos growing up. But money was soooo tight back then...! We loved wandering around the patch, but the pumpkins were sold by weight at a very pricey $ per pound. So, we'd make it a challenge to traipse around the fields to find the *smallest* pumpkins they could find. It usually played out as a friendly competition between the two of them, each going back several times to find ones smaller and smaller, lol. We'd then go ahead and purchase those wee pumpkins (along with a cider donut and apple slushie each). But then we'd swing by the regular grocery store on the way home from the patch to fetch our actual big carving pumpkins, for a much lower price. Good memories...!
ReplyDeleteHi friend,
DeleteThat sounds like so much fun. I bet your adult kids have lovely memories of running around trying to find the smallest pumpkins. It sounds like you figured out how to have the experience, support the farm, and save money at all once!
I live in a rural area of NWPA and at this time we have several small farms and farm stands that I support. However we also have a couple farm markets (larger) that I don't. I would probably also follow your line of thinking and go for a nice well priced gift and leave the pumpkins in the field.
ReplyDeleteHere I buy a few medium sized pumpkins for under $5 and go back for something they call a pumpkin run where you gather as many pumpkins for $10. I usually get 6-7 pie pumpkins. This happens closer to Halloween.
Hi Amy,
DeleteThe pumpkin run sounds like a great deal! And 6-7 pie pumpkins will go a long ways in making puree for pies and baking. I hope you can do this again this year! And great job supporting your local small farms. I love helping smaller businesses.
There are a lot of ways to respond to this scenario, and I think for me, it varies based on the season of life that I'm in. There is a place like this north of me. Currently, I dislike going there--too crowded, too expensive. I took my kids when they were little, though. We didn't get apples or pumpkins, because I could get them cheaper elsewhere, but I would treat them to cider and a donut (and I love cider donuts--each of us has our own taste preferences, I guess) and we would wander around and do the free things.
ReplyDeleteDown the road from this establishment is another roadside stand. My husband has been there so often that the owner knows him. He says that the big establishment has been a benefit to him, and he gets more business from the increased traffic in the area. His prices are much more reasonable and he will take time to discuss apple varieties that he has. He gives samples for you to try, and really knows his product well. I think he mostly sells to commercial ventures, but gets a nice amount of income from his roadside stand.