FFA chapter gets agriculture experience hosting pumpkin patch fundraiser

SUGAR CITY, Idaho (KIFI) — Future Farmers of America at Sugar-Salem High School are hosting a pumpkin patch. It is a fundraiser to cover expenses for FFA competitions and field trips. In partnership with local business Food Dudes, the FFA chapter is working to get supervised agriculture experience. Jamie Ashcraft of Food Dudes is a student supervisor over this year's project.

"My favorite part was probably talking to the kids and helping them learn to run a business," Ashcraft said. "We had to talk about marketing. They helped create the fliers. They talked about... how to create events to make people want to come."

The pumpkin patch has been in the works since last fall. About 20 students helped with preparing the soil, planting, weeding, and harvesting the pumpkins. They also designed and made a hay maze for kids and organized events like a dance party. Ashcraft said the FFA students even hosted a 2nd-grade field trip where they taught the younger kids how pumpkins grow. She says there's a chance they might bring the pumpkin patch back next year.

“The first year is always a little bit tough, but now that people know that we're here, I think we will do it again,” she said.

The pumpkin patch closes this Wednesday. Admission is free. For more information, you can visit the Sugar-Salem FFA and Ag Facebook page.