A south Galway farmer’s daughter who capitalised on the US trend of pumpkin patches by facilitating the selecting of pumpkins on her family’s 170ac farm, has now expanded into sunflower picking.
Ardrahan’s Caroline Whelan and her husband Gerry Quinn are well known for their Galway Pumpkin Patch at Caroline’s home farm at Castletaylor, Demense.
“The farm is my dad’s and is a mixed enterprise of sheep and cattle. He is a stock man to the core,” Caroline said.
“I am one of four daughters and none of us had any interest in taking that route. He never would have wanted to sell, so the pumpkins and sunflowers are our venture and thankfully, are working out okay so far,” said Caroline, whose husband is a full-time tillage farmer. He also grows tillage for his family’s fruit and vegetable business. They are trading in Ennis since 1982.
The pumpkin patch in the event field will open for the fifth year in October.
“Such is the demand to visit Galway Pumpkin Patch, it has sold out every year since its launch in 2018. There’s no reason that Galway Sunflower Picking won’t be as popular but with a slightly different dynamic,” said Caroline, who has three children aged under three.
“We are very excited about this. It’s a new adventure and we hope the sunflowers will draw a mix of all ages,” Caroline said.
“There’s nothing as beautiful, cheerful and uplifting as a sunflower, so come along and pick a bunch.
“This year we have sown 2ac, so there will be plenty for everybody. I am waiting on the crop to announce exact opening dates but social media will be updated regularly.
“The sunflowers seem to be coming along well and it will be some time in August. Hopefully, we will get a bit of fine weather. They need a bit of sun to bloom and as always, the weather is the biggest challenge to running anything outdoors in Ireland,” said Caroline.
Galway Sunflower Picking
So what can people expect if they go to visit Galway Sunflower Picking, or Galway Pumpkin Patch? The patch is located about 30 minutes from the city, three miles from Ardrahan village.
“We are in a beautiful rural location and are all about offering something a little bit different,” Caroline said.
“We are big on three things: Enjoyment, pricing and authenticity. We offer a simple rustic experience that encourages young and old to come and enjoy the great outdoors.”
“We work very hard to keep the price point competitive. If you feel you’re overpaying before you even attend, it’s hard to enjoy it,” the Galway gal continued.
“We try not to complicate things. People are generally happy with the simple things – fresh air and space and we certainly have plenty of that. So we are urging people to come along and make some memories. We will have lots of lovely picture opportunities in the sunflower field.
“There will also be plenty of seating and tea, coffee and sweet treats. Don’t forget your snips,” Caroline said.