October 10, 2009 - Traill County Tribune

Page 18 • October 10, 2009
Traill County Tribune
Ready, set, go pick your perfect pumpkin for Halloween
You may have to brush off a bit of dirt due to the pumpkins being in their natural environment. Bring a towel to
cover your car seat or trunk lining before you set the pumpkins inside. Another idea is to bring a garbage bag
to place them in for the ride home, since it’s likely they may roll in the car.
By Sarah Sorvaag
Three weeks until the night of
tricks and treats arrives. Have you
made a list of what Halloween
decorations, costumes, and candy
you would like to purchase? If so,
are you already considering which
stores you need to visit and coordinating
your schedule to avoid heavy
traffic? Perhaps you are interested
in stopping by a local farm for your
pumpkin needs if you are crunched
for shopping time elsewhere.
Either way, the pumpkin is the
most important decoration related
to Halloween, and you should give
ample time to find the best one for
carving and greeting visitors on
your porch. One farm outside of Arthur
provides not only a laid-back
atmosphere for you and your family
to find the best pumpkins, but
also the best selection you’re likely
to find anywhere else in the region.
The Iwen farm is located a little
over 18 miles north of Casselton
or three-and-a-half miles north of
Arthur on Highway 18. Tim Iwen
and his family own the two-acre
you-pick patch on the north side of
their farmstead. They also operate
a wholesale pumpkin patch, which
distributes to all Fargo Hornbacher’s
locations, Mary’s Market in
Arthur, Stop-n-Go, and Nash Finch.
Miller’s Fresh Foods in Mayville receives
pumpkins from Nash Finch.
Iwen first planted a large-scale
pumpkin patch in 1996. After a
few years, he decided to add on a
smaller you-pick patch for locals to
enjoy. His family has been key to
the success of the patch due to their
managership while Iwen is seeding,
spraying, and harvesting soybeans
and corn as his full-time job.
“I have always been interested
in pumpkins. I wondered if I could
raise them on a larger scale and
make money,” he said.
Now, Iwen’s wholesale pumpkin
patch spans 24 acres. His you-pick
patch is two acres. Iwen’s family
receives pumpkin harvesting help
from local high school students on
nights and weekends. Dan Iwen
helps deliver the pumpkins to their
Fargo destinations and works on
weed control in the patch.
Different pumpkin varieties are
planted within the same time frame
in the spring, so that all will be
ready when October arrives. Iwen
tests out mixing varieties together
to grow larger pumpkins for the
wholesale market.
“We use a few different mixes
and adjust it a little bit. We have a
PHOTOS BY SARAH SORVAAG / THE TRIBUNE
You don’t have to look very hard to find pumpkins with somewhat symmetrical
sides and a non-wobbly base at the patch. Both are key characteristics
when it comes to making an awesome jack-o’-lantern.
lot of variation within the area of
the patch. The you-pick patch has
more sizes to choose from. We have
some of the minis, pie pumpkins,
and larger ones,” Iwen said.
Susan Rasmussen from Miller’s
Fresh Foods stated that the Mayville
grocery store has already sold one
bin’s worth of pumpkins. Each bin
holds approximately 700 pounds
worth of pumpkins. She explained
that selecting the right pumpkin often
comes down to personal taste.
“Some people will use pumpkins
to decorate their yard. Others
are cutting them up for jack-o’-
lanterns. At Miller’s Fresh Foods,
we have a large assortment ranging
from the mini-pumpkins to the large
ones. Everyone from small children
to adults can find a pumpkin they
like,” she said.
The Arthur you-pick patch is not
unique just because of its variety,
but also because of its availability
for anyone to come out and enjoy
the search for the perfect pumpkin.
“The you-pick patch is neat. It’s
fun for kids to come out and pick
their own, especially when Northern
Cass comes out. They bring bus
loads out. To see streams of kids
run out into the patches is pretty
cool,” Iwen said.
One of the largest challenges
with operating a pumpkin patch is
coordinating harvest along with deliveries.
“During the first few years it
was tough to market them and get
them sold. There were a few slow
years while we worked on the
sales, labor, and deliveries. Today,
it’s mostly about staying organized
with the labor,” Iwen explained.
For anyone who is considering
starting their own patch, Iwen recommends
starting small and then
working their way up to a larger
patch. For visitors, he suggests not
stopping by a pumpkin patch following
a heavy rain.
If you’re in the mood to explore
a local pumpkin patch with your
family, look no further than the
Iwen farm.
“Where else can you have more
fun for a couple dollars?”
The you-pick patch is open daily
from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. For
more information call 371-7087.
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