A Stroll Down Pumpkin Lane – A Special to The Appeal Democrat

As leaves change and fall sneaks in, many thoughts of seasonal treats and festivities arrive along with it. For some, this might consist of spiced coffees, football, or piecing together a unique Halloween costume. For Wheatland residents, however, fall immediately equates to one thought – or place – in particular: Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm. 

The farm is located on Pumpkin Lane in the heart of Wheatland, yet its household name extends far past city limits. Drawing in visitors from all over, it’s estimated that Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm brings in around 300,000 guests each year. Home to the largest U-Pick pumpkin patch in the world and many other unique attractions, Bishop’s is truly what fall dreams are made of.

I was lucky enough to speak with Austin Bishop, a third-generation family executive, to learn more about his family’s business. This year marks their 51st season running since they first opened gates in 1973. Bill and Sandy Bishop, Austin’s grandparents, started it all with a property and a dream. A dream that was founded on pumpkins, farm education, and a sense of community. 

From the beginning, education has always been part of Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm. Bill was a hardworking farmer and Sandy was a teacher who saw an opportunity to bring farm and food education to her students. With that in mind, they planted their first half-acre of pumpkins and invited schools to tour the farm through field trips. They were onto something, as these field trips have never ceased to bring significance and education to students, even today.

Little by little, the farm started to grow. A hayride and a small goat petting zoo were added early on. A few years later, Sandy began baking pies at all hours of the night to sell on weekends. In 1991, however, some key attractions made their way to the farm. In addition to the original Cider Mill being built, it was also the year that Bill and his brother hand-fabricated the notorious Bishop’s train and railroad – also known as the BFP Line. The train is a 24-inch gauge railroad with eight cars and a diesel locomotive, completely hand-built by the Bishop family.

Since then, the family has continued to make developments and introduce new attractions to the farm. Sure, you’ll still find plenty of pumpkins and the BFP Line, but you’ll also find a state-of-the-art Mrs. B’s Country Bakery, Cider Mill, large Weeland Petting Zoo, corn maze, Sunflower Stroll, Pigadeli Square dining court, Charlie’s Carousel, zip line, shopping areas, and much more. 

The potential itinerary list of activities is endless. In recent years, there have been new additions to the farm almost every season. This year is no different, as the Bishops prepare to introduce a new tea-cup-style ride to the farm. Expect to add the “Sunflower Whirl” to your itinerary this October.

If you’re a regular Bishop’s guest yourself, you might have noted another seasonal change to the farm. Specifically, how the 95-acre pumpkin patch is always found in a different area than the year before. Austin shared that to achieve a successful crop, its location needs to be rotated. Although this might trump theories that pumpkins have legs, hopefully, it clears any confusion around the traveling fields. 

Speaking of pumpkin fields, it takes some serious planning for them to be ready, come season-opening each September. 

This year’s 85 pumpkin varieties were planted in June to achieve full growth. You might also be wondering about that corn maze I spoke of earlier. Though it grows pretty fast, it also takes some coordination and is planted in July of the previous year. This time frame typically allows the corn to reach about 6 or 7 feet by the time opening day rolls around. In addition to corn and pumpkins, Bishop’s also has 25 acres of walnut trees you might spot while riding on the hayride this season. These walnuts can be found across the farm, notoriously baked into their famous Lemon Walnut Pie. 

It’s not just the crops that require serious preparation. All baked goods, apple ciders, and hard ciders are made 100% in-house, which means a lot of organization and prep work. This season marks Bishop’s third year since introducing their popular “Bishop’s Other Cider.” The hard cider has proven so popular, that they have doubled their production yearly, to keep up with demand. The cider can be found on-site at the clever “The Other Side of the Tracks” (21 and older area) where you can find scheduled entertainment performances as well. 

A farm of this magnitude needs a lot of manpower. It didn’t take long for the Bishop family to recognize this fact either. Bill and Sandy began hiring community members and locals for seasonal work. This has become a tradition that has evolved and created many opportunities over the years. 

Currently, Bishop’s hires over 800 seasonal employees, of which half consist of high school students. For most Wheatlanders, working at Bishop’s is a right-of-passage experience. Many of whom return year after year, due to its exciting and fortuitous work environment. 

Along with giving students the chance at first employment, Bishop’s also provides them with work incentive opportunities. Most notable is their praised scholarship program. Individuals pursuing a bachelor’s degree or technical trade school, who have worked at least one season at Bishop’s, are eligible to apply. This is just one of the many ways that Bishop’s pays it forward. Another way is through “Wheatland Wednesdays,” a newly incorporated event that gives discounts across the farm to locals. Though modest, the Bishop family is always finding unique and generous ways to give back through events, volunteer work, donations, and more. 

If you ask guests about their favorite part of Bishop’s, you’ll get a lot of answers revolving around food. Mrs. B’s Country Bakery is known to inspire long lines out the door with their pies, cakes, caramel apples, and more. You can find many more homemade treats around the farm including buckets of cookies, cotton candy, fudge, apple cider slushies and floats, kettle corn, and more. However, before you fill up on dessert, there are a lot of tasty meals to choose from as well. Whether it’s hand-dipped corndogs and garlic fries, turkey legs, pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, pretzels, pizza, or tri-tip (and that’s just to name a few,) get ready for some delicious food that will keep you coming back for more every season.

With over 10,000 reviews on Facebook and almost 14,000 followers on Instagram, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm is treasured by many families. Maybe it’s the food and attractions or it could just be the pumpkins, but I think the reason most people love Bishop’s is because it’s a place that feels like home. For the Bishop’s family, it is. Bill and Sandy created this farm through hard work, family, friends, and community. To this day, these are the components that keep it up and running.

This article was written for and initially released on The Appeal Democrat. It can still be accessed via this link.