MERIDIANVILLE, Ala. — While the rain may have delayed Opening Day for Tate Farms, the season is still young for the number five pumpkin patch in the nation.
"It's our 29th year. We are super duper excited to be here, to be in our community and hang out with our friends from the past and make new friends that are coming out in the future," said Tate Farms Operations Manager Becky Weis.
Tate Farms has been the go-to pumpkin patch in North Alabama since the mid-nineties. "I don't think that back in 1996, they ever thought that we would become what we are today," said Weis, who also mentioned the visitors are her favorite part of the job. She said, "You hear the kids talking to each other and picking out pumpkins and deciding which ones their favorite and which one's the best pumpkin to get."
The farm says visitors are always excited to see a familiar face when they come back this time of year. "Just to be in the community and know that we have people coming back year after year," said Weis, "It's a really good feeling."
When Tate Farms saw the recognition by USA Today, they were very excited but also very humbled. "The community voted us in," said Weis, "There wasn't anything we could or couldn't do at this point in time to get us any higher on that list. It was our community and it was families and friends and guests and people we've known for years that said, Tate Farms is pretty awesome and we appreciate that."
While it may be Tate Farms who's been hosting their pumpkin patch for almost 30 years, their motion are the people who support them. "Whenever I come to work every day is seeing the guests and all the people come in and and making memories with their children," said Weis.
