KALISPELL — It is fall in the Flathead Valley, and for one Kalispell family, that means opening their farm doors to the community.
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At Sweet Pickin's Pumpkin Patch in Kalispell, pumpkins big and small draw crowds, helping agritourism take root in the Flathead Valley.
For more than 20 years, the DeVries family has poured their hearts into Sweet Pickin's, opening their farm to the Flathead Valley each fall. Terry DeVries said it has grown into a destination for agritourism in the area.
"It's been a family affair, which is what we want, for the families that come out and just enjoy the harvest season," DeVries said.
Every detail — from the local crops and animals to the train, carousel and pumpkins — was built by the DeVries family themselves. But DeVries said keeping it all running is no small feat.
"The biggest challenge in the fall for us is the frost — weather affects everything," DeVries said.
DeVries said the value of Sweet Pickin's goes beyond the harvest. It is about teaching people what farm work is really like.
"Most people don't realize what is involved in doing any farm work, they get out to the field and see how the pumpkins grow," DeVries said.
In a world where kids are growing up on screens, DeVries said Sweet Pickin's offers something they can't get from a phone.
"They can see literally how things grow and what you have to do to make it grow. I don't see any kids with a phone or iPad or whatever playing on it. No they're playing on stuff that we got here," DeVries said.
Sweet Pickin's Pumpkin Patch is open every day through the end of October. It is located at 1990 Holt Stage Road in Kalispell.
