Viewers' Choice For Best Pumpkin Patch: Barten Pumpkins
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Believe it or not, we're just three weeks away from Halloween, and that means this is primetime for pumpkins.
So we asked for your help finding the best in Minnesota. In the end, your votes sent me to New Prague to visit Barten Pumpkins.
"We decided from the beginning we never were going to check people out and we were not going to weigh pumpkins," said Fran Barten, whose family owns Barten Pumpkins.
Instead, they use the honor system.
"As a mother of 11 children, I remember going to a place and taking the kids and ending up that the pumpkins were "too heavy" and so we had to walk away," Barten said.
To make sure no one leaves empty-handed, they have a box with suggested prices and you decide what to pay.
"We like to trust people and they certainly step up," Barten said. "We don't feel like we've ever been bit. People are good."
Another bit of wisdom Barten has picked up is insight into just how people pick their pumpkins.
"I kinda equate it to a person who has a dog for a very long time," Barten said. "Have you ever noticed when the person is walking the dog, they sort of look alike?"
She thinks we pick pumpkins that reflect something in ourselves.
Admission to Barten Pumpkins is always free. But this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, there will also be free hay rides, free pony rides and free face painting.
