Spring Gathering

While visiting our farmstead during the "Spring Gathering", you can enjoy strolling through the original hog barn and chicken coops filled with country crafts, rustic outdoor garden benches, birdhouses and hand~poured country candles. The farmstead is decorated with a spring gardening theme in a peaceful country setting. During the spring, you won't see pumpkins ready to be picked or the crops of mazes, but you will see our fields ready for planting. You'll see flowers blooming, plants sprouting and growing, and the majestic trees along Big Creek in the background with large cottonwood trees wrapping the farmstead. You may see occasional geese, deer or the sites and sounds birds flying by. During the evening, you can witness glorious Kansas sunsets! During the day we invite you to sit outside, enjoy homemade desserts from a local caterer, sip a cold refreshing bottled pop and take in the scenic view spring has to offer. This is the time for planting season and along with the pumpkin patch we have a rotating crop of corn, hay and milo mazes we plant. In the pumpkin patch alone, we plant approximately 3,500 pumpkin seeds with a mixture of varieties. So by fall, you can enjoy the Pick'ins and the Stroll'in!

Harvest of Pumpkins

Do hayrides, U-pick-m pumpkins, scarecrows and mazes sound fun? Well, our "Harvest of Pumpkins" occurs every year, usually starting the last weekend of September through the end of October. When the pumpkins are ready, we are open to the public every weekend. We schedule group tours and field trips during the weekday, by appointment only! (Call for dates and times.) Families and individuals from all over come to spend a day taking a hayride, picking a pumpkin, strolling through the original hog barn and chicken coops (filled with crafts, candles, fall decorations), and meandering through the corn/stalk, hay and milo mazes. On the weekends, you may want to take part in the petting zoo. They provide a variety of animals to see, feed and touch along with educational information on each type of animal. On Sundays, enjoy a miniature horse and cart ride provided by a local miniature horse farm. They will take you on a stroll around the farmstead and share stories about their miniature horses. (separate charges apply for these special activities set up on the weekends). While you're here, enjoy the scarecrows on display throughout the farmstead. We host an annual Scarecrow Contest and invite our customers to take part by casting your "dime vote" for your favorite scarecrow. Registration and set up is done prior to our opening weekend and will remain displayed throughout the season. Entries of all ages participate. By the end of the season, all money goes towards the prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Moonlight Maze.

This is and annual event held around the middle to end of October. With the moon and stars or wind and clouds, we open the maze at night time. Folks enjoy strolling through the hog barn and chicken coops lit by lanterns outside. When you are ready, get in line, grab a glow stick in hand and venture through the maze! If the autumn winds, wrestling stalks and falling leaves don't get ya, keep in mind...Scarecrow Joe! Once you're done, cozy up to the toasty warmth of a campfire and enjoy the fresh autumn air. Hot apple cider and marshmallows available. (Call for information on dates, times and maze fee.)

Country Christmas

In the past, we have opened our home or the hog barn and chicken coops decorated with holiday decor. Local crafters provide many wonderful gift ideas while we provide the hand~poured candles, holiday CDs, jellies, spread and butters and more. Santa likes to visit and he is always anxious to hear any last minute "wish lists". The farmstead is lit up with colored lights, displays and holiday spirit. On the nights of our Country Christmas, we have a cozy campfire blazing. Marshmallows and hot cocoa are available. Due to the busy Holiday season, dates and hours may vary from year to year. Call for updated information as the holidays approach.

Cottage Lane Hand~poured Country Candles. Upon opening the Pumpkin Patch in the fall of 2001, "Pumpkin Pie " was our first fragrance released. We felt the candles would be a great addition to the pumpkin patch. Since the release of "Pumpkin Pie" we have seen much growth and we now have over 50 fragrances available. Each candle is individually hand~poured right here at our farmstead during our off season. The Country Cannery Container Candles are made from high quality wax blends, fragrance oils and essential oils. Each pint has unique character and provides at least 100 hours of wonderful scent throw! (Not only will you see them here, you may notice them sold at fund raisers and in other retail shops)

Our Home History

Upon visiting us during the events throughout the year, you will notice our home in the middle of it all. It is a cottage style, prairie styled farmhouse with a lane wrapped around it. You will see big beautiful old cottonwood trees framing the farm with Big Creek in the background. The home itself is an original 1926 Montgomery Ward home kit that was ordered, brought in by rail road and assembled on site. The garage was an old rail road depot building that was moved in later. We were told it came from Ellis. The original hog barn was built in the 1940's. It once housed hogs from the barn to the creek. Two chicken coops remain. The large coop housed the hens and roosters while the smaller coop housed the baby chicks. Later the coops housed goats, coon dogs and much, much more. Today the hog barn and chicken coops are restored and are used during our seasonal special events.