Unique pumpkin patch thriving in central Alberta: ‘Every year we add a little bit more’
People drive hours to get their hands on the pumpkins grown at Mill Tower Ranch near Ponoka, Alta., because they’re very unique — coming in not just all sizes and shapes, but also in unbelievable colours.
Every summer for years a pumpkin patch has been growing at Mill Tower Ranch, but usually it was just for the Williams family, their friends and neighbours.
Five years ago, they took their patch public.
“Our first year we gave it a try — it didn’t go great. We had snow and cold that year,” co-owner Michael Williams explained.
Every November, the family starts sifting through catalogues of pumpkin seeds from around the world.
“Try new varieties, see what customers like, what they don’t like. Change it every year to stay fresh.”
The pumpkin patch has grown substantially in the last 5 years. It started out as something the Williams just did for family and friends. Now, it’s a labour of love they work on year round – starting with seed selection each November. They spend $1000 on seeds alone. #Ponoka #yeg pic.twitter.com/BYYqtQcCRr
— Sarah Ryan (@SarahRyanYEG) October 20, 2022
Last year they spent around $1,000 on seeds. Williams said they look for ones that mature in 100 days or less, so they’ll be successful in central Alberta’s climate.
“Every year we add a little bit more, we try to go a little bigger,” Michael explained.
Over the winter, the family does some serious planning as to what grows best, based largely on how much space each variety of pumpkin requires.
When the snow melts in the spring, it’s all hands in the dirt.
The Williams children help, as do their grandparents, aunts, uncles and even great-grandparents.
“The planting is the hardest part. It’s usually May long weekend and it is a full two days of being out on your hands and knees, poking holes, planting them and then weeding throughout the year,” explained co-owner Dawn Williams.
“We put a lot of fertilizer into it so we can grow as many as we do,” Michael said.
The pair also pay close attention to how much water their pumpkins are getting.
“Like all farming, the weather controls all of it,” he added.
Come fall, people cannot wait to get their hands on the unique varieties at Mill Tower Ranch. Customers have driven from St. Albert, Provost, Didsbury and Strathmore over the years.
Some customers come back year after year. Rea Pugh started a tradition when Mill Tower Ranch opened their patch five years ago of putting her grandkids into their biggest pumpkins for photos. Here’s her latest one! #Ponoka #yeg pic.twitter.com/LWwKjgAAAd
— Sarah Ryan (@SarahRyanYEG) October 20, 2022
“This time people were calling by the beginning of September, asking if we’re open yet and we didn’t even have pumpkins yet,” Michael laughed.
When they’re ready though, many people are shocked by what they see — expecting regular orange pumpkins like the ones found at the grocery store.
“We’ve had lots of people message us, ‘So do you paint them?’ It’s like, ‘Nope, that’s the natural colour”” Michael said.
Some are more popular than others.
“Our red ones went super quickly and our black ones disappeared overnight. Our silver ones went very, very quickly and of course our bigger ones.”
In addition to growing pumpkins, Mill Tower Ranch has lots of animals to pet, and a picnic area for families to enjoy lunch as they pick the best pumpkins for them. People travel for hours to come see their selection each year. #yeg #Ponoka pic.twitter.com/ednNmTIyVK
— Sarah Ryan (@SarahRyanYEG) October 20, 2022
Dawn said the pumpkins don’t just have different aesthetics — they have unique edible properties too.
“Our peanut pumpkins or the Galeux d’Eysines are the absolute best for baking. They have a very low water content and high sugar,” she said.
The sugar seeping out of the flesh, often looking like warts.
“Blues are very dense and thick-skinned so they’re really good for roasting and they hold their shape so you can make soups and stews,” Dawn explained.
She said craft breweries have taken a lot of the red pumpkins, as they’re great for making pumpkin beer.
The Williams say this is a labour of love. They don’t make enough $ to cover all their costs. They charge per pound, and all pumpkins varieties are charged equally – even the rare ones whose seeds come from places like Japan. #Ponoka pic.twitter.com/bSBMaB1rVI
— Sarah Ryan (@SarahRyanYEG) October 20, 2022
Sometimes, the Williams come up with their own pumpkin varieties.
“We actually make our own hybrid this year. We crossed a gourd with an Atlantic giant and made a giant gourd,” Michael explained.
The family sells their pumpkins by weight, charging the same amount regardless of the varietal.
The Williams said they don’t make enough money to recoup their costs and hours of labour, but it’s fun — their own family tradition.
“You see everyone running around and picking a pumpkin that you’re not going to find at a regular grocery store. The looks on their faces is priceless,” Dawn said.
They grew 3,000 pumpkins in 2022 and expect to sell out before Halloween.
The farm is located east of Ponoka on Township Road 432, near Range Road 233, and is open weekends from noon to 6 p.m. They also take appointments outside those hours.
The farm accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit and cash.
The Williams grew 3,000 pumpkins this year, and 2,600 have already sold. But there’s still lots of unique ones left – especially the mini and baby jacks. They’re open this weekend 12-6 and expect they might sell out given the beautiful fall weather. #Ponoka pic.twitter.com/m6UAmc5rH5
— Sarah Ryan (@SarahRyanYEG) October 20, 2022
by Global News
