JONES FAMILY FARMS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF PUMPKINS AND TEACHES HOW THEY ARE MORE THAN DECORATION
In 1985 the first pumpkins were sold by Terry and Jean Jones, of Jones Family Farms, at their Pumpkinseed Hill farm on Beardsley Road in Shelton. Twenty-five years later, spending a fall afternoon at the farm remains a tradition for many Connecticut families.
“My favorite part of the fall at Pumpkinseed Hill is the view back towards our Christmas tree fields,” said Terry Jones, 5th generation farmer. “To think that the hill could have been another housing development makes the view even better!” The Joneses needed a crop that could be grown quickly to make the purchase of the land make sense to the farm, the best option – pumpkins. Currently the farmers at Jones grow and harvest over 50 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds. People from all over Connecticut, New England and New York make the trek to share the view and harvest every fall.
“We enjoy celebrating the hard work of an autumn harvest, knowing that the products we sell are ‘Jones Grown’ – they come from our own farm,” stated Jamie Jones, 6th generation farmer and winemaker. “We also like that our farm is a welcoming place for families to come enjoy quality time and make some memories.” Looking at Jones Family Farms’ Facebook page (facebook.com/JonesFamilyFarms) it is evident that families enjoy that too. Photos and stories of fan memories pepper the page.
The farmers receives many requests for recipes to use with pumpkins and squash. Jones Family Farms prides themselves on growing dozens of varieties of squash, including the ever-popular butternut, delicata, acorn, and spaghetti squash. "Buying local squash in the fall is a great way to eat locally throughout the winter. There are so many healthy and delicious comfort foods that feature squash, and we have tons of recipes we're excited to share!" says Allyson Angelini, Assistant Director of the Harvest Kitchen Cooking Studio at Jones Family Farms.
Starting in October, the Harvest Kitchen will be posting a recipe of the week on Facebook and on their website (JonesFamilyFarms.com). They also have complimentary recipe brochures available at Pumpkinseed Hill. "Squash purchased now will keep throughout the winter when stored in a cool, dark environment. Stock up now for the holidays," advises Angelini.
Over the years, Jones Family Farms have themed their fall harvest yard around family friendly topics. Fans have gone on the hayrides, toured the corn maze, tasted the fresh-baked cookies or danced on the stage while being surrounded by the worlds of Kings & Queens, Childhood Games, The Land of Oz, Fairy Tales, the Circus and more. To help celebrate the 25 years of harvest, this year’s theme features many of the favorites from the past. “It will be fun to watch people walk down the yellow-brick road to the hayride or dance on our 1950’s American Bandstage stage,” said Keith Padin, Hospitality Manager. “Guests will be able to buy fun items in a Lincoln Log log cabin or get some food under our Medieval Market Tent. Hopefully people will recognize a lot of the pieces we’ll have in the yard from their past visits.”
Pumpkinseed Hill is a part of Jones Family Farms and is located at 120 Beardsley Road in Shelton, Connecticut, off Route 110 - 5 miles North of Shelton Center and 2 miles south of the junction of Route 110 and 111 in Monroe. For more information call the Farmer Jones Hot Line – (203) 929-8425 or visit the Jones website at: JonesFamilyFarms.com.