Peachtree
Farm has more to offer than just pumpkins
Stephanie Frey, posted Oct. 12, 2006
October has arrived and with it comes Halloween and pumpkins.
Looking for a good place to find the perfect pumpkin this
year? Peachtree Farm has prime pumpkins and peaches. Peachtree
Farm is located about 10 minutes from Columbia and includes
two large peach orchards as well as multiple pumpkin patches.
Other fun activities, besides picking pumpkins and peaches,
include hayrides, given by owner Bruce Arnett, as well as
a petting zoo. The petting zoo includes animals such as donkeys,
goats, chickens and pigs.
Paula Thies, who visits the farm yearly, said, “I’ve
been bringing my kids here for three years. We live on a farm,
but we don’t have these animals at home.”
The owners, Judy and Bruce Arnett, have ran the farm for about
14 years and work on the farm daily. One can find Judy collecting
money as guests pull into the parking lot, while her husband
drives the tractor for the hayrides.
When asked how Peachtree Farm got started, Judy said, “We
had one peach orchard, then one year we grew a ton of pumpkins,
so little by little we started growing more things and adding
new activities.” She said although the farm has grown
quite a bit over the years, it is still not big enough to
hire any sort of migrant workers. Therefore, family and friends
are invited each season to come help pick and plant new crops.
The animals seem to be the biggest attraction besides the
pumpkins and can be found in various pens all over the 20-acre
farm. Chickens are often seen roaming about freely in herds
as well.
“They’re our pets,’ said Judy, “We
don’t keep the turkeys all year round, but all of the
other animals, the donkeys and everything, are our own pets.”
Not only is the farm open to families, but it is also available
to groups. The farm attracts thousands of school children
each year.
This year, peaches went for $15 per ten pounds, although the
price changes each year. As for the pumpkins, the bigger the
pumpkin the more it will cost. Peaches can be picked between
June and Aug., while the pumpkin patch is open from Oct. 1
through 31.
Peachtree Farm’s hours are Mon. through Sat. from 10
a.m. to dark and Sun. from 1 p.m. to dark. The cost is $4
on Sat. and Sun., while Mon. through Fri. the cost is $3.
Group rates are $3 per child with chaperone, and each child
gets to pick their own pumpkin.
For
more information refer to the Peachtree
Farms Web site or call (660) 882-8009.
