To fight back against a faltering economy, one extended family in Northwest Arkansas is pulling together and putting down roots, literally, to make ends meet; and they're doing it through a pumpkin patch.
Some say the secret to making ends meet in a bad economy is finding a niche and making it work. Out at Dickey Farms in Springdale, they're meeting a demand by bringing a pumpkin patch to Washington County. Patch Co-Owner David Dickey says he's "always loved pumpkins." Dickey was a Tyson Foods researcher when the economy went sour. "I got caught up in the layoff. First layoff in 2006, and I got downsized out of my job." So Dickey decided his best betÂ…was a pumpkin patch. "Trying to expand my farming operation to hopefully at some point be able to achieve a living wage." Howard Ferguson is also Dickey's father-in-law, and says from the outside looking in, Dickey Farms is a big success. "This is a bumper crop for us. It's probably the best we've had." But he says the rain that grew this crop is now hurting profits. "They don't come out too much in the rain and the mud. We've had way too much rain, and it's probably knocked our business off by some 30 to 40 percent. The expense of diesel fuel, pesticides, labor, and it all adds up together and just makes it more expensive." So, trying to come out on top, the Dickey family makes the most of days when skies are dry. That's when people flood the patch for picking, hayrides, birthday parties, and school field trips. Deana Dickey rings up several customers: "all right! Thank you guys!" The Dickeys say they'll continue to "carve" a name for themselves as the only pumpkin patch in Washington County. And people like visitor Allison Dolan say, she's glad this "staycation" is so close. "Businesses and everyone is just trying to be tight with their money. It's a family event that you can do for very little money; it's .30 a pound for a pumpkin." With so many pumpkins still left to sell, the Dickeys are hoping for many more weeks of clear weather, so they can sell their bumper crop, and hopefully make a profit. The Dickeys say even after Halloween, they plan on keeping the patch open, rain or shine, as long as people are showing up to pick pumpkins. For more information on Dickey Farms and other pumpkin patches, log on to www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/ARpumpkins.php, or call (479) 361-9975 or (479) 422-4427.
Some say the secret to making ends meet in a bad economy is finding a niche and making it work. Out at Dickey Farms in Springdale, they're meeting a demand by bringing a pumpkin patch to Washington County. Patch Co-Owner David Dickey says he's "always loved pumpkins." Dickey was a Tyson Foods researcher when the economy went sour. "I got caught up in the layoff. First layoff in 2006, and I got downsized out of my job." So Dickey decided his best betÂ…was a pumpkin patch. "Trying to expand my farming operation to hopefully at some point be able to achieve a living wage." Howard Ferguson is also Dickey's father-in-law, and says from the outside looking in, Dickey Farms is a big success. "This is a bumper crop for us. It's probably the best we've had." But he says the rain that grew this crop is now hurting profits. "They don't come out too much in the rain and the mud. We've had way too much rain, and it's probably knocked our business off by some 30 to 40 percent. The expense of diesel fuel, pesticides, labor, and it all adds up together and just makes it more expensive." So, trying to come out on top, the Dickey family makes the most of days when skies are dry. That's when people flood the patch for picking, hayrides, birthday parties, and school field trips. Deana Dickey rings up several customers: "all right! Thank you guys!" The Dickeys say they'll continue to "carve" a name for themselves as the only pumpkin patch in Washington County. And people like visitor Allison Dolan say, she's glad this "staycation" is so close. "Businesses and everyone is just trying to be tight with their money. It's a family event that you can do for very little money; it's .30 a pound for a pumpkin." With so many pumpkins still left to sell, the Dickeys are hoping for many more weeks of clear weather, so they can sell their bumper crop, and hopefully make a profit. The Dickeys say even after Halloween, they plan on keeping the patch open, rain or shine, as long as people are showing up to pick pumpkins. For more information on Dickey Farms and other pumpkin patches, log on to www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/ARpumpkins.php, or call (479) 361-9975 or (479) 422-4427.
