A Visit to Lafranchi Pumpkin Patch at Nicasio Valley Farms

Since my husband gets the Columbus Day holiday off, we decided to check out another local pumpkin patch this weekend. We visited what is probably the only pumpkin patch on a working farm in Marin County (if you know of another please let us know): Lafranchi Pumpkin Patch at Nicasio Valley Farms. The Lafranchi pumpkin patch, located in the west Marin hamlet of Nicasio, features all certified organic pumpkins at a real working farm. It's located just west of the Nicasio village square right on Nicasio Valley Road, and is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Lafranchi Pumpkin Patch offers a wide variety of organic pumpkins, most of which appear to be grown on-site, although the possibilities for pick-it-yourself pumpkins seemed pretty slim. There were a few pumpkins sitting out in the pumpkin field, but most were pre-picked and arranged on an expansive meadow. Pumpkin varieties ranged from your standard Halloween jack-o-lantern types to white and green ones to flat European "Cinderella" style squash. They also offer gourd, squash, apples, and other organic vegetables, as well as drinks and snacks.

Like many Halloween pumpkin patches, they also had the obligatory jumpy house and inflatable slide (the Jurassic Park model, whee!), which cost an $1 and $2, respectively. They also offer hay rides through the fields at $2 a head. The rural Nicasio setting is, as always, beautiful, especially since the weather cooperated on the day of our visit. There were also some farm animals for children to see—a couple goats, some calves, and a handful of chickens, as well as two small hay being the Bay Area, and with the certified organic pedigree and all, it's not too surprising. The smallest were $3, and prices ranged all the way up to $25 for a mazes. On weekends they offer a BBQ, along with an expansive seating area with picnic tables and umbrellas. Pumpkins were somewhat expensive, but this large pumpkin. Add another $3 for a "specialty" variety (i.e. anything but your standard orange jack-o-lantern pumpkin). Most people, however, were happily shelling out $50 or $100 for a wheelbarrow full of large organic pumpkins.

We really enjoyed ourselves there, but afterwards agreed that there was a certain "vibe" missing from the Lafranchi Pumpkin Patch. Maybe it was due to us being there on a weekday and all, but it just wasn't quite as exciting as we expected. But we did have a good time, and it's an unbeatable experience here in Marin, in a place that easily accessible from almost anywhere in the county. Check it out when you get a chance. For more information, call them at (415) 662-9100.