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Caroline Whelan’s business venture of starting a pumpkin patch in her native Galway was very nearly over before it ever began. Like many other yields around the country, this summer’s drought almost put paid to her precious crop of pumpkins.
Drought or no drought however, Caroline, along with her fiancé Gerry Quinn and his nine-year-old nephew Seán, overcame the dry spell through sheer manual labour. Now, standing in the midst of the pumpkins and looking down at her muddy shoes, Caroline says the current conditions are a far cry from summer evenings in shorts and t-shirts hauling water to the field by hand.
“We saw that the pumpkins were struggling because of the lack of water, so we started watering them by hand. Literally, we were out here lots of evenings back in the middle of June and early July, carting watering cans,” remembers Caroline. “Two to three hours it took between the two of us and Seán, who in fairness to him used to come out and give us hand as well. That was what we had to do to keep them alive.”
This time last year, around Halloween 2017, the idea to start Galway Pumpkin Patch sparked in Caroline’s imagination. The idea gripped the primary school teacher, who thought her family’s farm in Ardrahan would be an ideal venue to host this type of event.
To boot, herself and Gerry were the perfect pair, as he already had all the knowledge needed to grow pumpkins. Gerry is a tillage farmer from Gort, who, in partnership with his family, grows produce for their two fruit and vegetable shops, Green Acres and Four Seasons, in Ennis.
“The weather was a massive challenge, it really was. It was unprecedented, you would be hoping it wouldn’t get to that stage again. Thankfully you can see today they’re coming up well, they’re good and orange.”
New horizons
Growing up on a beef and sheep farm, Caroline is a newcomer to the world of horticulture, but explains that she has learned alot since the pumpkins were planted last March. With the crop ready, Galway Pumpkin Patch opened its gates for the first time last weekend and the event will take place again this Saturday and Sunday.
Pumpkin patches originated in America and centre on being a day out at Halloween where families come to pick their pumpkin, while enjoying the other activities on offer. They are usually elaborately decorated and Caroline most definitely has that box ticked. As well as importing decorations from the States, she is also fond of make and do. Inside her car there is paint, paint brushes and an array of other DIY accoutrements.
An artistic flair to go along with a keen business sense.
“I would be kind of entrepreneurial anyway,” reflects Caroline. “My grandad was a cattle dealer. I think that the buying and selling thing came through in me. I like business and even though I work as a teacher, I like dabbling in enterprise too.”
Caroline is one of four girls and her parents are happy for her to make use of the farm to host this event.
“My dad is the most gregarious man on the planet, he loves people. So he’s delighted with it. My mam is just really excited for me because she knows that I love events and that it’s something I’m really interested in,” explains Caroline.
“I think what my parents are really happy about is that I am taking an interest in using the land they have, even though it mightn’t be the traditional farming that my parents use it for.”
Blast off
As with any new enterprise, there were a few normal nerves. But with wisdom above her 33 years, Caroline notes that ideas will stay just that if you don’t do something about them.
“The first night I launched on social media I had a sense of trepidation because this was really putting it out there,” she says earnestly. “Ten minutes after I put the event up, I sold a ticket and I burst out crying, because I suppose that was a little bit of the anxiety built up in me. When you are setting up an event for the first time, you obviously have a vision of what you want it to be, what you want it to look like, what you want the site to be and the experience you want people to have.”
For Caroline, it is a leap of faith to try something new on the family farm, but one she has always wanted to make. Although she may not be a ‘traditional farmer’, she is very aware that it is on the farm her roots were put down.
“I couldn’t wax lyrical enough about growing up on the farm. We always had to row in, we would be out dosing lambs, dehorning cattle – we wouldn’t be physically dehorning, but we would be helping out, holding the tail or something,” she laughs.
“I’m so fond of our home and proud of our home.” CL
Galway Pumpkin Patch will take place again this weekend, 27 and 28 October. For more information, search Galway Pumpkin Patch on Facebook, where a link to ticket sales on Eventbrite can also be found. A ticket for a family of two adults and three children costs €11.40.
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