It’s late July and the pumpkins at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch are coming on strong. Papa grows many of the smaller varieties like Baby Bears right on the grounds at 5001 Fernwood Drive north of Bismarck. Like most farmers in the area, a little rain would be a good thing; still Papa is confident he’ll have all the pumpkins he needs for visitors when the pumpkin patch opens for the 2012 season on Sept. 10.

He also visited the fields that grow the larger varieties like Howdens and New Moons. Guess what? Some of them are already the size of basketballs! These pumpkins are under irrigation and they are doing very well.

(Want to know a secret? Papa expects the large straw bales for the infamous bale mazes to start coming in this week. Stay tuned for photos and updates on Papa’s plans for the mazes this season!)