Return to Peterson's Farm Pumpkin Patch

The last two years we've visited the pumpkin patch at Peterson's Farm in Petaluma, which is one of our favorite pumpkin patches and family farm experiences. How was it this year? We still had a great time, but it was definitely busier than we've previously experienced, and we felt that their pumpkin selection this year was a little lacking. We did bring home two large pumpkins, but it took us a lot longer to find them out in the field. Peterson's is also still one of the best pumpkin patch bargains in the Bay Area.

You'll find Peterson's Farm on the north end of Petaluma, on Gossage Avenue off of Petaluma Boulevard North. The area is full of suburban bustle, but when you turn up Gossage and head over the hill, you quickly find yourself in a quiet rural neighborhood. The turn into Peterson's kind of sneaks up on you. The best way to confirm that you're headed in the right direction is to look for the Sonoma County Farm Trails sign on your right. There are also smaller signs identifying the place as Peterson's Farm, but they're harder to spot. Turn right onto the gravel drive and head around the barn and park in the back.

Probably the first thing you'll notice is that this is a real farm, complete with old vehicles, ancient dilapidated barns and chicken coops, and various agricultural supplies scattered around. Don't let this put you off. This is a genuine working farm, not some side-of-the-road pumpkin patch set up for the season.

When you get out of the car it's likely that you'll be greeted by the small herd of shaggy black and brown cows that live in the back field. These are Scottish Highland cattle, and the strategically placed buckets of alfalfa cubes (cattle cookies?) welcome you to feed them. They'll be grateful for the snack. There are other animals on the farm for children to visit, including ducks, geese, chickens, a big tom turkey, ponies, and a colony of bees (more on that later). You can also purchase their products in the form of eggs and honey. You're free to wander around the farm and investigate the goings-on. It's not all that big, so it's perfect for families with small children. Small signs on the barns and animal pens tell you a little about who lives there.

There's a two large field of pumpkins out back where you can choose and pick them yourself. Wheelbarrows and carts are available at the barn to haul back your load, and you can also borrow a pair of clippers to help detach stubborn pumpkins from their vines. Most of the pumpkins were your standard orange jack-o-lantern variety, but there were also plenty of the dark orange and flat rouge vif d'etampes "Cinderalla" pumpkins.

One of the things that ads to the experience is the price. Those of you who have been to other pumpkin patches in the area know that large pumpkins can be $20 to $30, and it's not uncommon for parents to drop $50 to $100 on Halloween produce. Pumpkins at Peterson's Farm range from $1 for the small specimens to $9 for what must be pumpkins of truly enormous proportions. Our two very large pumpkins and a small one that my 3-year-old daughter plopped in the wagon at some point were only $15, which is less than what the cost of the one of the large pumpkins would be at competing pumpkin patches. It's a bargain, and something that's truly appreciated in this time when your dollar doesn't go as far as it should.

Inside the barn, you can check out the colony of bees in a demonstration hive with clear plexiglass walls. You can watch the bees at work and as they fly to and from the hive via a tube that connects it to the outside, and look for the queen bee, who's hanging out in there somewhere. You can browse the award-winning honey for sale, as well as t-shirts, beeswax items, and eggs, which were a steal at $4 a dozen and won first place at the 2007 California State Fair.

There are no bounce houses, no slides, no gift shops selling Halloween decor or trinkets, no haunted houses, no snack bar, and no gimmicks. That's part of what makes this one of our favorite pumpkin patches ever. Of course we like to visit some of the other pumpkin patches for the seasonal fun they offer, but when it comes time to buy Peterson's is the place we go.

Getting There

To get there, take 101 north to the last Petaluma/Penngrove exit. Go left and head over the freeway onto Petaluma Boulevard North. Follow it south until you reach Gossage Avenue—it's your first right after the Cinnabar Theater. If you see the Petaluma outlet mall on your left then you've gone too far. Follow Gossage up the hill until you see the small sign for Peterson's pumpkins. They're at 636 Gossage Avenue.