Homegrown pumpkins

Zittel Farms, a homegrown pumpkin patch on Folsom-Auburn Road and Oak Avenue, is more than just a place to pick pumpkins for Halloween.It's an educational and historical experience. Open until Oct. 31, the Zittel Farms Pumpkin Patch offers a vast assortment of ready-to-carve pumpkins and gourds, much to the delight of the local community and its kids.Started in 1976, though it now receives pumpkins from various farms around Northern California, Zittel Farms has grown from its humble beginnings as a porch front pumpkin selling business into an acre-and-a-half farm land of gourds, corn, and pumpkins, ready to be picked.Local residents Gale and Kent Zittel thrive on loyal local support, and they have even been able maintain a little bit on Folsom history on their farm.A common destination spot for school groups in Folsom, students from around the area travel to Zittel Farms to tour its many objects of interest, which include a cow, donkey, chickens, a corn maze, and a mini-museum filled with relics of old Folsom dating back to the 1850s.With all services, attractions and the annual Folsom Gourd & Arts Festival held in September free of charge, it's no wonder why kids and their parents return each year to select Halloween pumpkins and carving tools. Gail Zittel considers her family's farm a nice, local alternative to big produce farms such as Apple Hill in Placerville.Folsom residents Karen and Tim Kuntz have have visited Zittel Farms around Halloween every year since they can remember."We come here to support the local community and help our kids pick out the pumpkins they want." Karen said.Not only does Zittel Farms have a wide range of activities, it has a wide variety of pumpkins, too."People seem to like the green pumpkins with strange oblong shapes. When a pumpkin seems to have a weird face or deformation it's usually a winner with people." Gail said. "Usually pumpkins with a good stem and a fresh, hard texture are a perfect candidate for carving a Jack O' Lantern. Buyers have to beware of the soft squishy pumpkins which may not carve as easily and rot quickly."The Zittels take pride in the quality of their pumpkins, making sure the color, texture, and health are consistently good.They also take pride in the history of their community.And for more than 20 years, it's provided a winning combination in Folsom.