When Jean Colson and her husband Dwight opened Country Pumpkins for the 2018 season, they didn’t know it would be the final season.
During its final weeks of business, the Colsons decided they would close Country Pumpkins, 860 Spruill Road, permanently after nearly 20 years of business in Caledonia.
The farm became a staple for local fall tourism, drawing families and school groups each year. Activities included the ever-popular corn maze and hayrides, along with game stations that created a family friendly, fall carnival atmosphere.
“We are coming to the realization that it’s time for us to do less and not more,” Jean said. “At 70 and 71, we need to be cutting back and doing less. You just lose your energy. As it’s grown, it means more and more work.”
The Colsons started their farm in Caledonia in 1975, growing corn, cotton, wheat and soybeans. In 2000, Dwight’s brother, Paul Colson, gave Dwight enough pumpkin seeds to plant three acres.
“We started out as a roadside stand and people used an honor box to pay for them,” Jean said. “The first year, we sold everything. Every year we planted a little bit more and every year was better than the previous year.”
Over the years, the Colsons expanded from that pumpkin stand to more than 30 acres of pumpkin crops, opening for about six weeks each year to the public. As the business grew, they added more employees and amenities — hayrides, train rides, playground equipment, concession stands — and even started hosting birthday parties.
“It sort of grew itself, and we never intended to have an agri-tourism business that grew as much as it did,” Jean said. “God just blessed us and every season was better than the last. We have had people from every continent, except Antarctica, come out here.”
Since deciding to close Country Pumpkins, Jean and Dwight will now shift their focus on their farm.
“I have a heavy heart, because it brought a lot of joy to us,” Jean said. “There comes a time when you just have to stop, and it happens to everybody and unfortunately it’s that time for my husband and me.”
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