Wise Guys sow the seeds and create a pumpkin paradise

When the Guy children decided to keep seeds from their pumpkins last year and see if they could grow them, little did they realise how successful their venture would be and that a year later thousands would visit their Boardsmill farm to pick their own pumpkins.

John and Barbara Guy have been growing carrots on the family farm for years which are supplied to Lidl and Centra supermarkets but this was their first time to grow pumpkins and it was all down to their three children Sean (12), Conor (10), and Eimear (9).

The Guy family operate a 1,000 acre farm at Boardsmill and as well as growing carrots, they also have a tillage and beef enterprise.

"It all started with the kids," recalled John. "They are mad into growing veg and we have a small greenhouse where they grow tomatoes and potatoes. They love watching the Veggie Boys on Youtube.

"Last year, we went to Ballymad Farm in Ratoath to get their pumpkins. We pulled up at the gate and they had an honesty box. The kids carved their pumpkins and kept the seeds.

"They carved them at the kitchen table. There was a big mess as they scraped out the insides into a basin and they went out to the greenhouse and spread out the seeds on a table to let them dry and picked them up and separated them.

"Sean knew which ones were which and wrote the names on paper bags and envelopes and separated them out and put them in the hotpress for the winter."

John told how at the end of April/beginning of May, they started planting them out into trays with little modules in the greenhouse. Once the plants came on, the cousins came over one weekend and they started planting them out in the fields and also bought some more plants as back up in case theirs didn't grow. But they in fact grew very well and they have ended up with a crop of 4,000 pumpkins and gourds.

"It was fun, new and exciting and everyone from granny and grandad to the cousins were all involved," he said.

Then on the weekend of 15th and 16th October, they opened up their pumpkin patch to the public and were amazed at how many people bought tickets and came along.

Initially they just promoted it on facebook but after seeing the response, they had no idea how many people to expect and said they better make it ticket only and put it on eventbrite where tickets were free. Those who came along just paid for their pumpkins.

Over 1,200 people turned up on Saturday and then again on the Sunday and it was all hands on deck with cousins and friends all rowing in to help.

There were wheelbarrows flying up and down the farm as people chose their pumpkins and the Guys with the help of other family and cousins also did lots of artistic displays with pumpkins and bales as well as having face painters and refreshments.

"We had a lot of help and a lot of people made it possible," said John.

They had picked some pumpkins and spread them on straw in case people didn't want to go down the field but John said 99.9 per cent of people wanted to go down to exactly where they were grown and pick their own.

"We had no big masterplan, we just said we would plant them and see if they grow and give some to friends or family and whatever happens happens. They grew so well and then we advertised it as a pick your own patch on Facebook. There was so much interest then we said we better do ticketing so we would know how many to expect."

John said they would do it again and it was all a bit of fun. "We might make a few bob and we might not. Most farming enterprises have a huge set up cost, with this there was not. The weeding was a bit of work but you don't need machinery or to build sheds or anything and they grow easy enough."