When the billboards and the giant ear of corn appeared alongside U.S. Highway 12, they signaled opening of Chapman Farms would soon follow, and Aug. 18 marked the beginning of what Scott Chapman dubs “Harvest Season.”
“It went from Halloween, where you needed a pumpkin, to now it’s the harvest season, and people start decorating with their harvest stuff [on] September 1st, which is sliding into August even now,” said Chapman.
Available for U-picking are white and bi-color corn and pumpkins, and picked options are on display outside the red barn. The variety of pumpkins and gourds — from mini pumpkins to 100 pounds and ornamentals — to choose from has grown over the years with the introduction of new varieties. In all 25 acres are in pumpkins and 15 acres are in sweet corn.
“When I started in ’94, it was an orange pumpkin, big or small, and that was it,” Chapman said. “And now, man, every color and stripes. And then, of course, the development of ones that are resistant, or tolerant is a better word — nothing is resistant — tolerant to powdery mildew or other environmental challenges.”
Sunflowers are in bloom but visit soon because they will begin to die back. A relatively recent addition to the farm, Chapman estimates they grow around 50 varieties of sunflowers.
And in total, “with everything we do [on the farm], I think I counted 170 different varieties of things,” Chapman said.
There is also a corn maze and plane-watching opportunities. In 2020, Chapman mowed a large grass field to serve as a landing strip, and they had 13 pilots visit. Now, an average of 100 planes will fly in during the season.
“I didn’t realize that the general public enjoyed airplanes as much as they do,” said Chapman. “Now we get calls, messages, Facebook, you name it all the time, ‘When are the planes going to be there? We want to come watch.’”
Complementing the corn and pumpkins that Chapman grows are apples, green beans and other produce that he brings over from Yakima. These additional offerings give visitors “one-stop shopping,” Chapman says.
Keeping Chapman Farms running is a crew of two or three, plus family.
“They’re amazing,” said Chapman.
When planning to visit for events, such as hayrides or Halloween activities, be sure to check their website for the latest information because the events are weather dependent.
Chapman Farms is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day through Oct. 31 and is located at 239 Brady Loop Rd. E, Montesano. https://www.facebook.com/chapmanfarmspumpkins/
Visitors can select their own pumpkin from the field or from the display by the red barn.
Another popular activity at Chapman Farms is the corn maze. The maze is made from a variety of corn that is fed to cattle, and at the end of the season, one of Chapman’s neighbors will clear the field and feed the corn to his cattle.
There’s more than just pumpkins and corn for sale at Chapman Farms. Chapman brings over apples, green beans and other produce from Yakima.
