Farm employees Daelyn Dow and Celeste Vega, above left, tell students about the corn maze before inviting them in. Lucas Sousa, above right, runs through a hay maze and Michael Avalos-Lara, below, shows off his pick.
‘The Happiest Pumpkins on Earth’ In addition to direct sales through its pumpkin patch, R.A.M. Farms is home to “the Happiest Pumpkins on Earth”—because its pumpkins and other gourds and winter squash are shipped to a Southern California theme pa rk and va r ious Nor thern Ca l i fornia venues for ornamenta l purposes . The fa rm a l so sel l s orange pumpkins for carving to supermarkets, warehouse stores and garden centers. Because outdoor pumpkin patches are classif ied as produce stands, visitors to R.A.M. Farms this year must follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing and touching only the produce they intend to purchase. Karen Macedo said she is also considering delivering pumpkins to schools this year or creating a video to virtually teach children about how pumpkins grow. “The pumpkin patch could be more of a draw this year because it is an outside destination,” she said. “People really enjoy having a place to bring their families or for date night. It’s something for the community to look forward to.”
pink varieties such as Pink Porcelain Doll and Pink Princess are good for eating and décor. “You can eat regular car ving pumpkins, but the different varieties offer different f lavors and textures,” Karen Macedo said. “A regular carving pumpkin such as Magic Wand, which i s the majorit y of our orange pumpkins and are between 25 and 80 pounds, have a thinner wall and are easier to carve. A smaller Sugar Pie pumpkin has better f lavor. You can roast the seeds from any of the pumpkins we grow, but the best pumpkin seeds to roast are from the Kakai, because there is no outside hull.” She described the Fairytale, a dark mahogany orange, as great for décor and also to eat. The popular Cinderella i s more red and a l so good to eat , wherea s white va r iet ies—including Baby Boo t iny pumpk ins , midsized Snowball and Lumina, and the larger Polar Bear—make striking decorations.
Other varieties she prefers for eating include Festival, which is orange, yellow and green; Long Island Cheese, an American heirloom that is brownish and somewhat f lat; and the green Kabocha , which features a sweet orange f lesh.
Christine Souza csouza@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE Watch the kindergarteners choose their favorite pumpkins and meet the folks behind R.A.M. Farms at www.californiabountiful.com.
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September/October 2020
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