Today is a BIG DAY!  I woke up excited to vote and to be part of shaping the future of our great nation.  If you are able to vote today, (or have already cast your ballot),we salute and thank you for exercising your hard won right to vote.

Think your vote doesn’t matter? You make choices and vote with your time, presence and dollars everyday and those “votes” impact the lives of your friends, family and community.  

We want to thank you for all the “voting visits” to our family farm this season and encourage you to continue to Vote Local.   When you visit Great Country Farms, you are not only helping us keep farming alive in western Loudoun Country, VA, you are also supporting:

• 3 generations of Zurschmeides who live and work on the farm
• Countless teenagers working their first jobs and learning the importance of hospitality and good customer service
• Our core team of managers and farmhands who work hard to bake the pies, make the donuts, welcome the guests, press the fresh cider, plant the crops, bring in the harvest and pack our CSA boxes
• Countless local businesses who help us keep the tractors running, maintain the delivery vans, provide animal feed and building supplies, paint our educational signs, print our cards & provide packaging and boxes for fruit picking.

We are excited to have the farm open for your enjoyment through November 22nd and look forward to welcoming your family to enjoy this farm we love.    The Knead It! Bakery will be open through Dec 23rd for all your holiday treats and gift boxes.

So as you vote today, we salute you and encourage you to continue to vote daily with your time and money to support local businesses and small family farms that give our community it’s special character and flavor.

The Zurschmeide Family & Farmhands of Great Country Farms

There is just something about the fall season that puts a little more magic in the air. Maybe it is the cooling temperatures, the leaves changing, nearing the start of holiday season, picking the perfect pumpkin, or a combination of things. Whatever it is, if you plan on joining us this fall, we want to give you the inside scoop on how to plan the perfect day.

1. Wear the right shoes. This has been quite the year of rain, hasn’t it? While you’re traipsing around our pumpkin patch in search of the perfect jack-o-lantern, we recommend wearing rain boots or an old pair of sneakers. We promise you will still look chic in your fall attire while staying clear of mud.
2. Flip the day. Our sister properties across the street, Bluemont Vineyard and Dirt Farm Brewing, tend to be busy on beautiful fall days. If you’re planning on enjoying our Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival activities, and visiting one of our sister properties, consider heading to them first. Grab a glass or pint and a bite to eat and enjoy the views, then come down the mountain and pick your pumpkin on your way out of town. Most families with little ones leave the farm early for afternoon naps, so the crowd tends to die down later in the day.
3. Weekday date. Want to skip the crowds completely? We still have wagon rides, pumpkin picking, our Roosteraunt concessions and pig races during the week!
4. It’s all about timing. Our wagon rides out to the pumpkin patch run continuously, but our pig races, cider pressing demos and P-Rex show are only offered at certain times. Take a look at our schedule for the can’t miss activities and then plan your pumpkin picking around that
5. Capture the moment. Did you really pick a pumpkin at a fall festival if you didn’t Instagram it? Smartphones make it so easy to capture life’s sweetest moments. When you share, be sure to tag us @greatcountryfarms and use #greatcountryfarms!
6. Give your pumpkin a proper send-off. After the fall season is over, what are you going to do with your pumpkin? It is likely past its prime but throwing it in the trash just feels wrong. Join us for our Pumpkin Chunkin’ November 3 through 6 to smash your pumpkin in all kinds of fun ways. We feed the smashed pumpkins to our pigs for an extra special treat!

Do we choose a pumpkin or does it choose us? Sure, there are cardboard bins filled with pumpkins in all sorts of box stores, but there is just something special about heading out to the farm and gazing across the pumpkin patch knowing your perfect pumpkin is awaiting you. Maybe it’s that odd shape or nub that will make the perfect wart on the face you plan to carve.  It can be a magical experience and it is always a joy to see our guests well pleased with their pumpkin choices. Here are a few tips to help your family experience the magic this Fall Pumpkin Harvest Season.

 1) Inspect your pumpkin. Be sure the stem is solidly attached and that there are no nicks or soft spots… especially on the bottom. This will help ensure that your pumpkin lasts for carving or into November for décor and pies.

2) Make it a Date and Flip the Day. Pumpkins aren’t just for kids and visiting the pumpkin patch can be a great fall date! Since lots of families will pick in the morning and head home for naps, we suggest couples start with lunch at our sister properties,  Bluemont Vineyard or Dirt Farm Brewing, and then come over for the 3:00 p.m. pig race and then ride out to the pumpkin patch.

3) Bring a wagon. There can be lots of walking around farms with play areas and pumpkins can be big and heavy and the walk to the parking lot after a busy day. Many farms offer wheelbarrows to carry your booty to the car but, if you bring a wagon, you’ll have it the whole day to carry the kids and gear and then load up your pumpkins after picking for an easy exit.

4) Make Separation Plans. There can be lots of folks visiting the pumpkin patch and kids can be excited to move on to the next play structure or event without waiting for family to catch up. Make a plan with your kids in the event you get separated. Tell younger children to go to a cash register attendant to say they have lost their parents. This way, the staff can help reconnect you.  Set a place to meet such as at the How Tall This Fall Sign which is next to the hayride area. Take a family picture there to “mark the spot” so your older children know where to meet you if you get separated.

5) Bring your Camera. Your goal is to create memories that you can savor, so break out the camera or smart phone and bring it along for some great family photo ops. When you share on social media, be sure to tag us on Instagram @greatcountryfarms #greatcountryfarms for a chance to be featured!

6) Play Hooky & Avoid the Crowds. Weekday afternoons are always the least busy at pumpkin patches. Take a day off and make memories on a beautiful fall afternoon… your family is worth it! If that is not an option, Sunday mornings are the least busy on weekends.

Pumpkin Drop Zone

7) Plan what will you do with your leftover jack-o-lantern. The compost pile isn’t the only option to dispose of your carved pumpkin after Halloween. Check out our Pumpkin Chunkin’ for a smashing weekend! Give your pumpkin the proper send-off on our zip line, have us drop it from our Drop Zone and more! Here at Great Country Farms, we feed all of our smashed pumpkins to our cows and pigs who greatly appreciate having this delicacy opened for them making it easier to eat.

Nothing goes to waste! Pigs love smashed pumpkins!

Now you know the secrets, so plan your pumpkin picking adventure!

Weekday Admission: $8/child 3+ and $10/adult 18+

Saturday & Sunday Admission: $10/child 3+ and $12/adult 18+