Liepold Farms is more than a pumpkin patch

If people are willing to venture a little off Highway 26 and onto Kelso Road, they will happen across an expanse of open land, some cows and Liepold Farms.
Liepold Farms, located at 14050 SE Richey Road in Boring, is not just the berry farm that provides all sorts of goodies to Burgerville but transforms itself into a family friendly pumpkin patch come October.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a large grass lot full of free parking and hardly full on Wednesday afternoon. I was also thankful October hasn’t been too wet or I could imagine the entire lot would have been muddy.

I came in rain boots, prepared for mud, but there wasn’t much to be found. It might be due to the lack of torrential downpours this month but mostly it’s because the farm lays down bark-dust over all potentially muddy areas.

The farm was divided into four main areas: the covered kids place, a small shop, the corn maze and the pumpkin field.

The kids area requires paid admission for the hay maze and kids pavilion. The hay maze costs a dollar and is a pitch-black feel through dry grass. It was worth it to not see my hand in front of me and be mostly deaf to what was going on outside.

The play-place costs $2 and has all sorts of things for kids to climb around and play, with their shoes off, of course.

The retail store is small and offers a variety of treats and house décor. It’s where patrons buy all their passes for the activities that the farm offers and stock up on caramel corn and cider. It also houses an ATM that charges a $3.50 fee for a withdrawal.

The corn maze was what I was most excited about. At a cost of $7, it’s more than five acres of cornfield that you have to fight your way through. Along the way there are informational sets that give information about how the farm produces its berries and facts about specific types of berries the farm grows.

Mud wasn’t a problem in the maze as the staff had seemingly done a very good job at covering problem areas with bark-dust. The peak of the maze was the two high bridges that offered an overhead view of the maze and a full view of the farm.

Right next to the corn maze entrance is the starting point of the hayride. A tractor-pulled trailer of hay takes you around the farm and gives you information on the farm itself and pumpkin growing for only $3. It takes about 15-20 minutes to finish and focuses on getting kids excited about farming.

After learning how pumpkins are grown, it’s just a short walk to a lot of pumpkins waiting to be picked. Pumpkins are priced by the pound and there are wheelbarrows available to transport your pumpkin to the scale and then to your car.

If you’re not interested in large pumpkins or pumpkins at all, the farm offers a variety of small pumpkins for 50 cents each and other types of seasonal fall squash.

Liepold Farms is open everyday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and has more information listed on their website, http://liepoldfarms.com.