The Farm at Swan's Trail 2012
The Farm at Swan's Trail is a family run 45 acre farm spread out along the shores of the beautiful Snohomish River, about 40 miles north of Seattle. We're visiting the farm on the opening weekend on this sunny Autumn day in October.
The farm is fun for the whole family, with a pumpkin patch, a huge 12 acre Washington State corn maze, a petting farm, tractor rides, a 3 story high barn maze, an apple orchard, live duck races, and the famous Four Little Pigs show.
My Massachusetts Book Trailer
Enjoy this preview of the latest children's book from Little Beach Books. Written by Elisabeth Villa, Illustrated by Nicole Fazio. 2013.
Children and adults alike will love accompanying a young boy and his Boston Terrier on a real Bay State adventure. Start the journey with a tour of Boston--take a Swan Boat ride, walk the Freedom Trail and root for your favorite team! Check out the magnificent sights on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Pick apples in the Berkshires, explore the Basketball Hall of Fame and learn about the first Thanksgiving. Featuring delightful rhyming verse and beautiful illustrations, this account of what makes Massachusetts so great is one you won't want to miss!
An Upside to Drought
Standing in a field full of fat, orange pumpkins, Bert Bouwman admits he dodged a bullet.
We had a few times where it was very hot and dry; I had a little concern, says the Brooklyn Park farmer. I farm on sandy ground so I supplied water with drip irrigation.
Bouwman says he sells anywhere between 200 and 400 pumpkins each weekend in October at his Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze. Even as the moderate to severe drought that has gripped more than half the country continues to extend into parts of Minnesota, Bouwman is enjoying a successful and plentiful pumpkin crop.
That's not a surprise to University of Minnesota Extension horticulture educator Terry Nennich, who actually says this season could produce one of the better pumpkin crops. He says, when combined with an irrigation system, drought conditions can actually help pumpkin crops. Pumpkins love the heat and dry weather cuts down on disease.
Such was the case for Bouwman, who says the gourds on his 20-acre patch are doing so well, he might actually have some left over to share with other farmers.
We have been getting calls from other states looking for pumpkins, he says. If you are a producer, you have your regular accounts and you want to fulfill those accounts because you want to make them happy, even on a stressful year. You might have to [be forced] to go out of your circle and buy pumpkins to supply.
Bouwman says the seed company he works with gave his number to growers in drought-stressed regions. So far, he's gotten calls from Missouri and Colorado. He says he could hear from more as the season progresses.
He says in the past he has grown just enough pumpkins for himself and a few grocery stores. He says this year is the first time he could have extras he could send to other farmers.
I like to keep my local market going and as soon as I have a surplus I will help them out, says Bouwman.
Renee Banot
12 News is on Comcast cable channel 12 in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis and includes the cities Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.