racetracks

14 • NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2003
Pumpkin purveyors predict packed patches this fall
By Jennifer Butler
The chilly air of
the fall will
soon be upon
us and businesses who
earn their keep during
that memory-making
season have been preparing
all summer for their
impending visitors.
In northeastern Pennsylvania it has
become extremely popular — even traditional
— to make an annual visit to the
“pumpkin patch.”
Area farms and orchards have capitalized
on this love of the season in many
unique ways, creating a variety of fall
experiences for their customers, with the
help of Mother Nature.
Roba’s Tree Farm and
Pumpkin Patch
The Roba family of Dalton anticipates a
busy season as families turn their attention
to the activities of autumn.
John and Sue Roba have been building
their business since 1985, when they
began planting “balled and burlapped”
trees for sale throughout the year on
their 100-acre Christmas tree farm.
Since then the farm has seen considerable
growth and each year a new attraction
is added to entice families throughout
the Halloween and Christmas holidays.
“We were surprised at the growth in the
Halloween-time business.We try to add
something new each year and this year it
is ‘Bunnyville,’” said John Roba.
“Bunnyville” consists of miniature
homes built especially for the rabbit population
at the farm.A new Barrel Train,
featuring a herd of “Holstein” cows constructed
by Roba, will be pulled by tractor,
transporting visitors from the barn to
the pumpkin patch activities.
“These attractions have been a real marketing
tool,” Roba said. In addition to the
A view of Roba’s corn maze. All photos this
page except Robin Peregrim by Bob Urban
Robin Peregrim reports “a
good apple crop; much better
than last year’s” at her
business, Miller’s Orchards,
in Justus.
John Roba tends his sheep, part
of his farm’s petting zoo. At
right is the zoo’s pot-belly pig.
hay ride, a staple of the pumpkin patch
business, Roba’s boasts a petting zoo with
real reindeer; a children’s playground; and
a pick-your-own-pumpkin adventure.
Another attention-grabber is the fourand--half-acre
corn maze for which the
family creates a new theme each year.
This year, the maze’s theme is a
“Barnyard Yard Adventure at Roba’s.”
For the more adventuresome, the
Flashlight Maze Adventure Night will
allow them to try their hand creeping
through the maze by moonlight with
only their flashlight to guide them.
The “adventure” comes with campfire,
hot dogs and marshmallows included.
This attraction, Roba said, has been very
successful for the business.
Of course, being dependent on Mother
Nature never makes the business easy.
“This year the spring was excessively
wet but, fortunately, we have a welldrained
area.We got two-thirds planted on
schedule and one-third late,” he said.The
farmer can only hope that there is no early
frost to kill his 30-acre crop of pumpkins.
An on-site, full-blown country store also
offers a bit of the season with homemade
jams, jellies, pies, and the beautiful wares
of several local craftspeople.
In addition to its success as a Christmas
tree farm, the Roba family has found that
the addition of their balled and
burlapped trees to area landscapers has
been another successful venture.
As the doors close on the Halloween
season, those of the Thanksgiving and
Christmas seasons open for the Robas.
Miller’s Orchards Farm Market
The fifth generation of the Miller family
anticipates a busy season this year and
reports a good apple crop in the 25 varieties
offered throughout the season.
“It is a much better crop than last
year,” said Robin Peregrim, who with her
husband,Wally, operate the family business
in Justus.
The business owners have gone all out
in planning the crop mazes that attract
many visitors each year.The 10 acres
donated to the mazes include a one-and-a
half-acre maze for the younger set; a
themed maze which differs each year;
and a crop circle sorghum maze indicative
of the landing of an alien ship in the
middle of a field.
Some may want to take aim with the
farm’s unique apple slingshot or corn
cannon. Others find delight in the “balloon
typhoon” of a blown up apple filled
with balls, or a ride on the cow train
pulled by the farm’s tractor, to pony rides
on the weekends.
The Peregrims also have a bountiful
orchard business.
“We have homemade pies, dumplings,
apple cider, donuts, jams, jellies, honey,
fudge and applesauce,” said Robin
Peregrim. Fall ornamentals have also been
a great seller at the store.
The 110-acre farm is geared toward families
and school groups.
“It’s a family affair,” said Peregrim, who
is a former school teacher.“We make agriculture
fun,” she added.“School tours are
my favorite part and my husband loves to
talk to the people who visit us.”
This year’s new addition to the business
is a greenhouse, which offers a variety of
plants from which to choose.
Ritter’s Cider Mill
From Labor Day to Christmas, chances
are you will find Gary and Debra Ritter
very busy at work in their business in
Mount Cobb. Dairy farmers at heart, the
couple had joined with Gary’s father and
mother, Irving and Arlene Ritter, and created
the orchard and cider business that
they successfully operate to date.
“We put a lot of hours in during the
(fall) season,” said Gary Ritter, and the
family business, in its 25th season, features
hay rides,donut-making, a petting
zoo, a corn maze and homemade apple
cider from the farm’s press and tasty
recipes, jams and jellies.
The farm grows 12 different varieties of
apples, including Macintosh, Red
Delicious, Golden Delicious, Empire and
Northern Spy.
“It has become a tradition to visit the
farm during the fall season,” said Ritter,
and many of the activities on his farm are
offered to the public free of charge. Many
visitors find the fascination of the apple
press worth returning to on a yearly
basis, young family members in tow.
Toiling year round to make the most of
the farm and its offerings, hard work
goes into the maintenance of equipment
during the off-season and crop maintenance,
such as planting and spraying,
during the summer until 30 days prior to
the harvest this month.
“This year the weather has been fairly
good for growing, and the crops have
been better than they have been in past
years.We have been spraying all summer
to ensure no infestations,” said Ritter.
The farmer and businessman also has
another line of work which keeps him
busy in the off season. He constructs 20-
bushel apple bins which are sold to
orchard owners all over the country.
Bunting’s Dairy Farm
What began as a small idea has grown
into a large one on a working dairy farm
just two miles south of Honesdale.
Gerald and Marcie Bunting, third generation
family farmers, say it is a lot of work
to ready themselves for the many visitors
they receive between Sept. 20 and Oct.
26, but they are used to hard work: they
tend a 120-head herd of dairy cows and
keep a working farm.
“It’s the real thing here,” said Marcie
Bunting, and the couple has used that
aspect to their advantage.“We give real
live milking demos and farm tours to our
patrons,” she added.
The business also sells pumpkins,
gourds and cornstalks.
Two years ago, the farm welcomed visitors
to their newly-begun “pick-your-own
pumpkin patch” and it was met with
great success.
A “hay tent” also offers a fun time for all
those who visit it, not to mention the hay
rides and petting zoo on the farm.
Another unique aspect is the antique
tool and farm equipment display.The
attraction depicts the hard work of farmers
throughout the year.
“We enjoy the people and try to keep
it personal by interacting with them,”
she noted.“We also try to educate children
and adults about agriculture and a
working farm.”
John Roba
feeds his
reindeer.