Alan and Geralyn Hoefling, who own and operate Hoefling's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in Marcus, Iowa, say this year's pumpkin crop is among their best.
Caitlin Yamada
Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze has a variety of different pumpkins, gourds and squash that visitors can pick themselves or buy from a variety of different carts and stands.
Caitlin Yamada
Each year, Geralyn and Alan Hoefling try to grow a new variety of pumpkin, squash or gourd. Pictured are several different colored, shaped and sized pumpkins the Hoeflings grow.
Caitlin Yamada
Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze grows small and large Indian corn.
Caitlin Yamada
At Hoefling's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, visitors can take a wagon and pick their own pumpkins from the patch.
Caitlin Yamada
Spoon gourds are a popular pick for visitors of the Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze. The gourds can be dried out and carved to be used as actual spoons.
Caitlin Yamada
Broom corn is a unique grain Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze grows. Originally it was used to make brooms, but now many people like to buy it as fall decoration.
Caitlin Yamada
Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze grows hybrid pumpkin called midnight that stays a dark green, almost black color.
MARCUS, Iowa – Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze started 25 years ago with orange and white pumpkins. Now, they have 50 varieties of pumpkins, 15 varieties of squash, 75 varieties of gourds, broom corn and two sizes of Indian corn.
Orange, white, green, yellow, speckled, small, large, flat and more; every year Alan and Geralyn Hoefling try to grow one new specialty item.
“The odder the shape or color is, the more attractive it is for people,” Geralyn said.
The family has always had a small patch for the kids.
Geralyn was a teacher for 32 years and wanted the kids to learn how pumpkins grow. When Alan was a child, his grandmother would give him a small spot in the garden to grow pumpkins. He would grow the pumpkins and sell them at the grocery store.
When Alan and Geralyn got married, he started growing pumpkins again.
Located at the corner of C38 and L36 in Marcus, the four-way intersection is the perfect spot for the patch.
The patch started with a few bales of hay, some pumpkins and a scarecrow. Now, it has a variety of kids games, a corn maze, a grass maze and hayrack rides spread across three acres of land.
One of the main goals of the patch is to teach children. Children learn about how pumpkins are grown from flowers on the vine and they learn how people would use simple machinery to chuck and sort corn.
Growing that many different types of pumpkins, squash and gourds is harder than some may think. Geralyn said there is a lot to know about and it is more difficult than just planting the seed.
Five years ago, there weren’t enough bees on the land to pollinate the flowers and in turn grow pumpkins, so they now have their own bee hive.
The five Hoefling kids were all under the age of 10 when the patch started. Now that the kids have graduated college and started their own lives, they take turns going back home to help on the weekends.
There is no entry fee at the door. Geralyn said they want to make it accessible to everyone. A free-will donation jar is available for people to donate to, but most of the income is from pumpkins and other sales.
While Alan and Geralyn pick and price many of the pumpkins, families can visit and pick pumpkins.
“It’s just cool to go out to the patch and find that perfect pumpkin and you cut it off the vine,” Geralyn said.
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Alan and Geralyn Hoefling, who own and operate Hoefling's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in Marcus, Iowa, say this year's pumpkin crop is among their best.
Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze has a variety of different pumpkins, gourds and squash that visitors can pick themselves or buy from a variety of different carts and stands.
Each year, Geralyn and Alan Hoefling try to grow a new variety of pumpkin, squash or gourd. Pictured are several different colored, shaped and sized pumpkins the Hoeflings grow.
Spoon gourds are a popular pick for visitors of the Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze. The gourds can be dried out and carved to be used as actual spoons.
Broom corn is a unique grain Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze grows. Originally it was used to make brooms, but now many people like to buy it as fall decoration.
