The Schwabe family grows thousands of pumpkins and gourds on their five-acre property on Henderson Highway, just north of Winnipeg's perimeter.
Interior designer, culture purveyor and beautiful-things expert Martha Stewart has nothing on a certain pumpkin patch at 2728 Henderson Highway, just north of the Winnipeg Perimeter.
The Schwabe family pumpkin patch and gourd market is the perfect fall harvest come to life.
Every year, the Schawbe family grows thousands of pumpkins, gourds and squash of all sizes and description.
For the past 30 years, the family, which includes husband and wife team George and Melody and their three girls, now teens harvest the patch and sell their crop from a pumpkin stand at the end of their driveway on Henderson Highway.
It’s an enchanting little patch that’s impossible to miss and frankly, impossible to drive by without stopping.
More than just a fall farmers’ market, the family decorates their front yard into a giant harvest and hallowe’en display with tons of picture-perfect photo opportunities.
The elaborate fall harvest display includes a hay bale maze, giant hay bale spider, a kid-friendly bale mountain for climbing and an instant family photo backdrop made with bales, pumpkins and scarecrows.
Their produce is displayed on a long tractor trailer loaded with squash, varietal corn, pumpkins and gourds. You’ll find vegetables you’ve never seen before, including Peter Pan saucer pumpkins, Delicata squash and a “Red Warty Thing” (a.k.a. a bumpy red pumpkin.)
Both decorative and edible vegetables are for sale at the stand, including Orange, white, heck even blue pumpkins.
Melody Schwabe says they’re never sure what kind of crazy hybrids they’ll pull from their five-acre property any given year.
Look for the free Schwabe Pumpkins 2012 recipe booklet at the stand. It includes 10 recipes and tips for cooking squash and pumpkins.
Pumpkins are 38 cents a pound while decorative gourds are 50 cents a pound.
The family pumpkin patch is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The patch is closed Mondays. The season ends on Hallowe’en.
For more information, call 204-799-6762, visit schwabepumpkins.ca or visit their facebook page
