A place where kids can be kids.

This was the vision that Jan Ulland and her husband, Farmer John, had when they opened up the pumpkin patch to the public in the 1980s.

Now 30 years later, the Ullands are also celebrating this season with another milestone: their 60th wedding anniversary.

“We spent half of our married life doing the pumpkin patch,” Jan said. “It’s a pretty sweet coincidence.”

The 30th season of Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch opens on Sept. 23 and will run until Oct. 31 at 90537 273rd St. northwest of Austin. The patch is open everyday from noon until 6 p.m. and admission is free.

For those who had children on Oct. 15, 2017, the Ullands plan to give away free pumpkins. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted.

So far, the pumpkins are looking good, according to Jan, and  the gourds appear in different shapes and colors.

There’s corn stalks and hay bales for fall decorations, and homemade jams that Jan makes herself, which include popular flavors like raspberries, strawberries and pepper jellies.

Visitors are encouraged to shop in the barn, get on the silo slide and bounce, picnic, and take in the celebration of the harvest and fall around them.

A lot has changed for the Ullands within those 30 years. They planted pumpkins in a former feedlot to control weeds, which eventually led to them selling pumpkins to area stores in attempts to get rid of them. There’s a games and activities inside the barn that was built from the original floor and foundation in 2003.

“Through the years, we collected a lot of really old farm-type things,” Jan said. “We are still trying to get a feeling of an old-fashioned farm. It’s a place where kids can be kids. We want families to come and have fun on their own, and go to the patch, and pick your own pumpkins.”

What hasn’t changed is the delight of seeing children and their families coming back each season to pick their own pumpkins and having fun together.

“That hasn’t changed,” Jan said. “We’re seeing kids that came as kids are bringing their children back here, and that’s evolved certainly over the 30 years. There are still families making memories, and it’s kind of important to put it on that way.”

There’s hope that the next generation would continue to run the pumpkin patch, which Jan anticipates won’t go away anytime soon.

“Our family is helping out a lot,” Jan said. “We’ve done the Farmer’s Market in Austin for all those 30 years also. It’s hard to pull the plug and people would miss it. There’s nothing anything really like this close to us. We just like to offer the place to people and have them come out and do their own thing and make their own fun. This appeals to all ages, that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Finding your way to the Pumpkin Patch

Follow these directions to get to Farmer John’s, 90537 273rd St. Austin, MN 55912.

NOTE: Some online GPS services often lead to the wrong location.

From Highway 218, turn west onto 270th Street at The Corners, continue onto the Mower-Freeborn Road, turn west onto 273rd Street and continue a half mile. From Highway 251, turn south at Corning onto the Mower-Freeborn Road, go three-quarters of a mile, turn west onto 274th Street and continue a half mile.