Buy Local Food In Kitsap

Poulsbo:  SCANDIA VALLEY FARM, 16624 Scandia Road NW, Poulsbo, (360) 779-3353.  Open Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Admission:  $5  Farm owners Marylou and Kenneth Jenkins design their own maze every year and also have a stand on their property where they sell produce such as corn, squash, blue lake pole beans and black beans along with  a few gift items.

Amazing Corn In October

Last modified on 2008-10-18 22:01:49 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

As the days get shorter and the nights colder, October signals final harvest time for local farmers whose crops are yielding the last vestiges of their bounty for the season. But it’s also the time of harvest celebration and several local farmers have made it a tradition to include children in the joy and festivities.

One of the fall delights for children of all ages is donning their boots and coats and tromping through a corn maze. Many churches and school groups make arrangements for this annual jaunt and some farmers say they have more than a hundred kids come through in a group. But this weekend through the end of October is a good time for families to take advantage of this opportunity to bring their children to celebrate corn maze days and learn a little something about farming as these farms also present farm education programs as part of the tour. Most corn mazes are also open several days during the week, some by appointment only.

This weekend also promises good weather for the fun-filled trek and the admission fee for farm tours and corn mazes generally include taking home a small sugar pumpkin for pie-making or a big fat pumpkin for carving. Below is information for four different farm mazes in different parts of the county that you might want to check out. Because of their popularity, you might want to check first for time availability, especially if you have a group.

Kingston: SUNRISE HILL FARM CORN MAZE AND PUMPKIN PATCH, 11033 NE Tulin Road, Kingston, (360) 509-5378. Open Wed. – Sun., 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. with “flashlight maze madness” on Fri. and Sat. nights from 8 – 10 p.m. Admission: $5 adult; $3 6 – 11 yrs old; 5 yrs and under free. This farm is on the old Arness homestead farm dating back to the 1890’s. It was purchased by Chris Plummer in 1974 and her three daughters, Michelle Rogers, Gayle Waxon and Kim Williams now operate the farm. A snack shack serving hot beverages, hot dogs, corn on the cob and other goodies will be open during maze hours. This year the maze is in the design of an orca whale and was designed by MazePlay at www.mazeplay.com

Poulsbo: SCANDIA VALLEY FARM, 16624 Scandia Road NW, Poulsbo, (360) 779-3353. Open Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Admission: $5 Farm owners Marylou and Kenneth Jenkins design their own maze every year and also have a stand on their property where they sell produce such as corn, squash, blue lake pole beans and black beans along with a few gift items. Part of the tour includes feeding some friendly goats and one of the highlights of the tour is the Pumpkin Theater where Kenneth presents a copyrighted play about the growing and propagating of pumpkins. A large pumpkin field yields a huge selection of sugar and carving pumpkins for children to choose from.

Silverdale: PHEASANT FIELDS FARM, 13274 Clear Creek Road NW, Silverdale, (360) 697-6224. Open noon – 6 p.m. daily for corn maze, farm tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sat., 1 p.m. on Sun. groups by arrangement mid-week. $5 adults, $3 per child under 15. Farm owner Nikki Johansen and tour leader Shannon Harkness offer corn maze tours and special farm tours that include visits with goats, llamas, and chickens, an educational presentation, and a popular visit to their duck pond. The farm supports 50 Community supported agriculture families and sells produce, eggs and poultry at the Poulsbo Farmers Market. A recent weekday sported 16 children from Sylvan Way Baptist’s preschool. In addition to the other activities, children enjoyed picking their pumpkins from a large field and posing for pictures in front of some of the farm’s equipment.

Bremerton: MINDER FARM CORN MAZE, 1000 Gluds Pond Rd. NE, Bremerton (360) 692-9271. Open Wed. – Fri., 4 p.m. – dusk; Sat. 9 a.m. – dusk: Sun. Noon – 6 p.m. Groups must reserve in advance. $8 adults, $6 children 5 – 17, under 4 free. Military with active card $6. Owner Jim Carlson’s grandfather bought the farm in 1960 with 46 acres for more than 100 head of cattle. Carlson retained 20 acres and says with a laugh that he has to lease some land next door for his cattle while his corn is growing so the cattle won’t eat it. He also has a professionally designed, stroller-friendly maze from MazePlay. This year it’s in the shape of the ESPN logo with a bronco rider, has six checkpoints, and takes about an hour to complete.