As Halloween creeps closer, many families are starting to decorate their houses and carve pumpkins.
Rondriso Farms (8390 172 Street), owned and operated by the Tamis family, opened its fields to the public this month for its annual pumpkin patch.
“Enjoy a hayride down to our pumpkin fields and pick out your own pumpkin, or choose from an assortment of already-picked pumpkins,” reads a post on Rondriso Farms website.
The pumpkin patch is open Monday- Friday from 3- 6 p.m. and on weekends and holidays from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Tickets for the patch are $6 per person, and hayrides are an additional $3 each.
The Tamis recommend at least an hour for your visit. For families with young children, they suggest visiting on weekdays from 3- 6 p.m. when the Pumpkin Patch is less busy.
Visitors will also have an opportunity to visit their cows and chickens.
Farming is a family affair for the Tamis family, who have been farming in Surrey since 1958. Ron and his wife, Pam, took over the farm operations in 2002 from family members. Their three sons also help out on the farm.
Ron farms close to 300 acres, which has freed up land for their pumpkin patch.
The Tamis family owns 43 acres of the land and the rest of the is leased. This land is owned by retirees or by other farmers who have quit the dairy industry, Ron said. This farmland has allowed the Ron to expand their beef cattle over the years.
“Because we have a lot of access to grazing land that’s not suitable for anything else, we’re able to have feed for the cows.”
The beef is for sale in their general store. The farm is known for its garlic, carrots, potatoes and sweet corn. “One of the reasons why we can we can keep the quality there is because I have a series of successions of plantings,” said Ron.
The corn serves a dual purpose for them. They harvest what they need for the store. “Then we Greenshot the stock and green feed the cows with what’s remainder,”
The corn is available for purchase seasonally in their general store. The store is open year-round, although the days and times depend on the time of year.