CALEDONIA, Wis. — Swan's Pumpkin Farm in Caledonia is marking 50 seasons of pumpkins and memory-making in Racine County.
"It's good memories for the kids, with grandma — taking them to the pumpkin farm," said visitor Malama Baus.
Baus visited Swan's with her grandson Tuesday, just days after visiting with her other grandson.
Watch this video to hear from owner Ken Swan:
She said she wants them, as they grow up, to know, "They can come here and enjoy the farm."
Devon Collery now works at Swan's, but she has her own childhood memories of visiting.
"Since kindergarten — we started coming," Collery said.
And so do her own children, who could one day have kids of their own, who she believes they'll bring to Swan's as well.
"I'm sure they will," Collery said.
The generational memory-making is something she cherishes.
"I'm looking forward to being able to look back at this with them for years to come," Collery said.
Collery and Baus are certainly not alone.
"We've had a lot of boys and girls visit us over the years with their school groups," said Swan's owner Ken Swan. "Now these kids have their own families, and so they make it a tradition."
Farming the land along Howell Road is a tradition for the Swan's family itself.
"We started back in 1976, the year my dad retired from farming," Swan said.
The farm transitioned to a roadside farm market, which included growing and selling vegetables alongside pumpkins.
"Now, we're a destination pumpkin farm," Swan said.
As the Racine County pumpkin farm marks half a century in business this season, Swan is reflecting on the years.
"It goes very fast, believe me," Swan said.
While he said no two years are ever alike, there have been notable seasons, including one season with remarkable drought in the 1980s.
"We were picking sweet corn. The corn was maybe four feet tall. It was a tough year that year," Swan said.
This year is also a notable one. Besides the business turning 50, Swan himself will turn 80 in October. The milestones come 10 years after Swan's battle with pancreatic cancer.
"We wouldn't be here for 50 years now if I hadn't survived through that crisis," Swan said.
As Swan reflects on 50 seasons, he is also looking ahead.
"The farm is kind of at a turning point right now, because I'm going to be stepping back after this season," Swan said.
He said that while he plans to transition out of day-to-day operations after this season, his commitment to the farm isn't going anywhere.
"They say you can't take the farmer out of the farm, so I'll be here," Swan said.
With his family, staff, and community behind him, Swan is optimistic about the future of this Racine County tradition.
"We'll keep going," Swan said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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