Scary Gourdmother

A plethora of pumpkins at Huffman Family Farms

Hilary Huffman will tell you outright she doesn't have green thumbs, though she's spent the last three years growing 25 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds in the midst of her 36-acre farm. While she grew up on a hobby farm in Port Orchard, the self-confessed "tomboy" who loved building her own fires and cooking her own lunches outdoors says she never thought she'd actually take up farming as a living.

Huffman says that her career path has taken a lot of meandering turns and produced plenty of unexpected outcomes. She was working general manager for a large-scale winery and thought she'd continue to climb the corporate ladder before being laid off in March 2012. It was through grappling with this sudden change in events that the seed for her next undertaking was planted.

She knows that she wouldn't have dreamt up such a purpose for her farm without God's leading. "It's the only logical explanation," Huffman says.  Shortly after her lay-off, several people asked her what she'd think of becoming a pumpkin farmer. It struck her as strange at first, but the wheels really started turning when she accessed the 36 acres she and her husband had purchased several years before.

Huffman realized opportunity was knocking on her door when she determined "there was nothing like it in this part of the county," she said. From thereon out, she got busy. Upon telling people what her next career turn would be, she was met with a lot of laughter. But when people realized she was serious, they sobered up and asked, "What can we do to help?"

 The self-motivator rolled up her sleeves and started out talking to her farming neighbors. She sought out advice on irrigation and construction. She consulted with WSU's extension office and learned that the majority of pumpkin farmers reside in the Midwest; WSU knew cattle, corn and hay like the back of their hands, but this new undertaking forced her to largely pave her own way.

"Everything has been planted by hand," Huffman says of her growing operation. Though the u-pick pumpkin patch is considered her "baby", she credits her hardworking, supportive parents and her husband Glenn for all their time spent making the farm possible. Huffman says that while she commonly tells people, "I'm the farmer, he's the firefighter," they're in this together. In fact, each member of the family has a business card. Glenn's title is "Head Plough Boy," their son Bennett, 12, answers to "Farm Hand/Head Animal Wrangler," and their daughter Mally, 10 is "Farm Hand/Assistant Baker."

Huffman says that her kids are fully invested in the family venture. "They knew that things were going to get tighter for a bit," she says of starting out several years ago. "But they also knew this would afford them a life they didn't previously have when I was working at the winery. My kids have been spending time out in the patch every weekend getting ready for October."

While Huffman prepares for their season all year, September and October are by far her most challenging months. She gets used to rising at 4 am some days and puts in 16 hour days that include anything from feeding pigs, working as the director of sales and marketing, driving her kids to school, putting dinner on the table and working out in the patch with a headlamp. But she wouldn't trade her current role for anything. "I often say that the worst day on the farm is better than the best day in the office."  

First Generation Farmers

Huffman Farms is one of the main attractions for harvest fests in Kittitas County just a few years after getting their start, but Huffman says that there was nothing simple about learning to work with pumpkins, a most labor intensive crop. Pumpkins might seem like a seasonal affair, but growing and maintaining them requires many months of steadfast work.

In March and April the Huffmans till the land, order the seeds and plan out the patch. Early May is spent rebuilding their mounds, laying irrigation, stretching mulch, marking emitters and cutting holes. May is also their planting month, especially with the added corn maze. The corn goes in first, and the pumpkins quickly follow.

The summer months are devoted to maintaining the crop, Huffman says. They manage weeds, control pests, treat for fungal issues and oversee irrigation.

September is all about harvest and planning, planning, planning for the nonstop celebration that transpires on their property for all of October.

Huffman credits Farmer Jeff, a friend from the winery she managed, for helping her select seeds based on their growing time, knowing how to space them, and suggesting what watering schedule they should be on.  The apple and cherry farmer from Ephrata "has been my 'Farmer Hotline' from day one, with me often texting him pictures of distressed plants so he can try to diagnose the problem from Grant County," she says.    

When Huffman looks back to their start just a few years ago, she doesn't hold mince words. "Without any experience to go on, we did everything, and I mean everything, the hard way."  After trying four different farm implements on their little hobby tractor, breaking two of the four and their tractor, the Huffmans finally hired a neighbor to plow their land.

"Given that it had never been worked before, and it frankly isn't the best soil for farming, it was tough stuff. Then, we used the snow blade for our tractor to start the mounds and shovels to finish them. Once the mounds were made we manually laid drip irrigation."

Once the drip irrigation was laid, the Huffmans recruited laborers to help stretch the black plastic mulch over the patch. When she thought they were ready to plant, Huffman was required to go down each row, feeling by hand where the drip emitters were so she could mark the spot.

"Just when I thought I would never be able to stand up straight again, I took to my knees to cut a hole, using a sheetrock knife at each marked emitter. My knees soon hurt so bad that I forgot all about my back," Huffman says of the laborious effort.

Since that first year with their "test" patch, the Huffmans have purchased an implement that builds the mounds, lays the tape, and stretches the plastic mulch. While it's their best purchase to date, marking the emitters and cutting the holes is still a manual, demanding process. Huffman is grateful to her dad for creating a homemade device that marks the drip emitters and another that cuts the holes and says that because of these inventions, she's gotten a lot more generous in her gift giving for him at Christmas.

3rd Annual Pumpkin Festival

Huffman had no way of knowing how much response her pumpkins would generate that first season. But she sent out the word to friends and acquaintances that their family had a new venture, and lo and behold, the news spread. In the fall of 2012, the Huffmans had over 800 people in their front yard within five hours. "That show of support really put the wind in our sails," Huffman said.

She learned as she went, meanwhile encouraged by the community's positive response to their efforts.

Their first full season was 2013, but Huffman Farms is already a household name throughout the community. Throughout the entire month of October, it is definitely the place to be.

Huffman's "happening" month kicks off with their 3rd Annual Pumpkin Festival on October 4th and 5th from 10 am to 4 pm. What better way to launch the season of apple cider and pumpkins than to partake in Pumpkin'lympics, best described as a day of "good old fashioned farm fun and competition"? Those young and old have the opportunity to take part in a pumpkin pie eating content, Tim's Cascade three-legged races, a gourd relay, a pumpkin chuck-off and more.

Families are invited to come out for fun fall festivities and should note that admission, hayrides, the petting zoo, and duck races are always free of charge. Additional activities such as Jack's Kid Zone, Gourdy's Corn Maze, pony hop races, and face painting have set rates, which parents can access before arrival on the website. Since no outside food or drink is permitted on the farm, families can drop by The Farm Kitchen Café for a tasty lunch or snack.

Professional photographer Penny Hein will be on site to capture families in the midst of the fun.  Hein won't be charging sitting fees or taking appointments; she offers a number of lovely fall backdrops and will take orders at pennyheinphotography.org.

U-Pick Family Weekends

If you aren't able to make it out to the Pumpkin festival or you had so much fun, you want a second round, you're in luck. Huffman Farms is open on Saturdays and Sundays (October 11 -12, 18- 19 and 25-26 from 10 am to 4 pm and provides an array of fun for families. In addition to picking your own pumpkin(s) off the vine, you'll have the opportunity to climb aboard a hay ride with Huffman's dad Bob at the wheel, get lost in Gourdy's Corn Maze, visit some furry creatures in the petting zoo, adventure through Jack's Kid Zone, chuck some pumpkins and stop in for a delicious bite at The Farm Kitchen Café.

Huffman says that the excitement of the season is already in the air, especially as the animals for the petting zoo are starting to arrive. They'll have nearly a dozen animals for guests of the farm to enjoy, among them a miniature donkey, llama, ponies, pigs, chickens, sheep and even an alpaca.

Haunted Forest and Corn Maze

Huffman says that her inspiration for the new haunted forest and corn maze comes from living in a college town. Though she isn't too fond of haunted houses herself, it's entirely different to work on a project like this from the creative end. She's even written a hair-raising back story about the fictional McMillan family that's sure to ignite suspense and fear in participants.

Those looking for an experience where "only the trees will hear their screams," can venture on over to Huffman Farm on Thursdays and Fridays starting October 9 from 6-10 pm. (Please note that the final entry into the corn maze will be 9pm). Since this is a weather-permitting event, Huffman advises customers to check their facebook site for updates. Please remember your flashlight so you can make it out alive. You'll be able to warm up by the fire pit after and enjoy a late snack from The Farm Kitchen Café until 10 p.m. 

The cost for the event is $10 for those 12 and over and $8 a person for those under 12. Refunds won't be given to the faint of heart, so please consider whether you want to get scared.

The family-friendly corn maze is part of the family fun on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.

Field Trips and Parties

Huffman Farms has fast become a favorite field trip and party destination. A basic field trip, which lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes, includes a hayride, petting zoo experience, a treasure hunt, time spent in the play area and a pumpkin for each child to take home for only $5. Parties follow a similar structure, but can be customized to fit the school or the party-goer's needs. 

Annual Tradition

The Huffmans might be a first generational farm, but they can already see the impact their lengthy Octobers are having on families, and that alone is rewarding.

Often times the elementary students who visit write "thank you" notes afterward, and Huffman is touched by the variety of messages she receives: everything from detailed pictures of the hayride to illustrations of her sitting in an imagined flowing red dress in the midst of the pumpkin patch. It's really amazing what children come up with.

Perhaps her favorite of all? The time a school-age child raised her hand to ask a question and not knowing her name, called her "Mrs. Halloween."

"That quickly got my attention," Huffman says. "It's phenomenal to watch something we've created as a family become something so fulfilling in others' lives. I like that we're helping create memories that will stay with children (long after) they've grown up."