Students enjoy pumpkin patch

With nearly 1,400 pumpkins and gourds to choose from, a person is bound to find the perfect one.

The Union Congregational Church's pumpkin patch is a busy place with children from both Sweetwater County School District No. 2 and No. 1 visiting almost every day.

Thursday was no different with kindergarteners from Monroe Elementary School visiting the pumpkin patch. Church member Pam Kerr said they have all sorts of pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes for residents to buy. Some items included in the church's purchase even surprised Kerr. She didn't think they would receive many elf houses.

"Those I didn't even know were available. They just threw them on the truck for me," Kerr said.

Once the students arrived, they were all lined up and given instructions.

Kerr said they were welcome to explore the pumpkin patch and see all various sizes and colors of pumpkins and gourds the patch had. They were also encouraged to touch the different textures each pumpkin or gourd had, but they have to follow the pumpkin patch rules.

Kerr said she had two rules for the kids to follow when visiting the patch.

"I do not want you to run at all," Kerr said.

Kerr told the children the pumpkins sit on pallets that have wood or in some cases nails sticking out and she didn't want the children to get hurt.

"It's like a maze. It's kind of fun, but I need you to walk through it," she said.

Kerr said the second rule was to never pick a pumpkin or gourd up. She said a lot of them are a lot heavier than one would think. Also, if they get removed from the pallets and placed on the ground, the pumpkins will start to rot.

While one class was exploring the pumpkin patch, the other kindergarten class was conducting a science experiment and listening to a book.

By the end of the trip, most of the students have picked out their favorite pumpkin or pumpkins in some cases.