FORT SILL, Okla. (Oct. 1, 2015) -- Sept. 23 marked the first official day of fall and that means just one thing: pumpkin flavored everything!
Despite my exclamation point there at the end of the last sentence, the truth is, I'm not a huge pumpkin fan. I like carving pumpkins, and I like eating pumpkin seeds (after I've seasoned them with garlic or cayenne). I have a blast smashing pumpkins, but I don't get super excited about pumpkin flavored anything.
My husband, however, does join the rest of you in the love of pumpkin, which is why I was excited to take him to Jahn's Pumpkin Hill in Cyril, Okla., about 30 minutes toward Oklahoma City.
According to the website, Jahn's is an "educational adventure in agriculture." I wasn't sure how excited I was about agriculture, BUT the website also said each admission gets one free pie pumpkin and while I'm not a sucker for pumpkin I do love just about any kind of pie out there.
We arrived late in the afternoon thankful the weather decided to acknowledge the coming of fall by cooling off a few degrees. In my mind's eye I expected to see fields and fields of pumpkins, what I actually saw was much different.
Mary Jahn met me in the parking area (I hesitate to call it a lot, it's really just a place the grass is replaced by stones) and led me on a tour of her farm. Twin calves nursed from their mother, Popper, as we passed sheep, chickens and a goat. Jahn told me the hill was more than just a place to get pumpkins. It was, in fact, an educational event.
Jahn began the farm in 2002 and her husband, Jerry, was skeptical her plan would be successful. But each year visitors return to climb into Jahn's trailer as she takes them on a 10-minute tour around the farm explaining the natural resources on her farm, everything from those hungry twin cows to the minerals that can be found beneath them.
"My mother and sister are school teachers so I guess it just runs in me," she said. "I want people to be able to come out and experience what we take for granted. I want them to be able to touch a sheep and feel the hairy texture of a pig."
From there the trailer stops at the back of the farm and lets visitors out to walk through the farm. At a concession stand visitors may purchase animal feed for a few cents, in addition to human feed such as chips, candy and drinks. Jahn said visitors are welcome to bring their own picnics and walk to the far side of the farm to enjoy a meal away from the crowd. The farm also has a small maze, a sand box, swings, pedal tractors and of course, animals to feed to include a baby pig, sheep, cows, a horse and a donkey.
But what people really want when they come to Jahn's Pumpkin Hill isn't a chance to feed Popper, what they really want are pumpkins. Jahn sets up the front of the farm with many large pumpkins for families to take photos. The rest are littered throughout the farm where visitors, who need more pumpkin in their life, can purchase additional pumpkins which vary in price depending on the size. Jahn said the average pumpkin is between $2 and $20.
"There are some so large it takes three guys just to pick it up," said Jahn. "Those are mostly for photos, but we have sold them in the past."
Just how many pumpkins are on the farm? Jahn says "a whole lot." She doesn't have a definite number but said enough pumpkins to fill a semi-truck are unloaded on the hill. Even with the pumpkin overload, Jahn said last year they ran out and she had to drive as far as three hours away to get more.
"We had 4,800 people come last year," she said. "It was our best year. We started with 600 the first year and we've been growing every year."
As I arrived a week before the hill is open to visitors, there was still work to be done. Hay bales needed to be moved, the lawn cleaned up and the sheep sheared, but Jahn was confident everything would come together so that it would be something enjoyable for the whole family.
"I want to be a blessing to others," she said. "I want kids to come here and have fun and then leave here dog tired, dirty and happy as can be. That's the grand plan for families to be happy."
Admission:
$7 a person, $6 for groups of 10 or more. Mary Jahn said if you came with two or three families that would count as a group but all members of the group must arrive together.
Directions Lawton-Fort Sill:
GPS worked pretty well but in case you need directions driving Interstate 44E toward Oklahoma City, take Exit 53 for US-277 (Elgin/Sterling/Fletcher). Turn right on US-277. Turn right on Whitfield Road and then left on County Street 2710. Jahn's Pumpkin Hill will be on the left.
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