Did you know South Dakota has a GREAT pumpkin patch, and it's just 37 minutes west of Sioux Falls?

One of the state's best-kept secrets during the autumn months is quickly becoming a Fall favorite for families all over the Sioux Empire.

I'm talking about "Our Farm, SD."

Located just outside of Parker in Turner County, Our Farm, SD is owned and operated by Lane Mellegaard. Mellegaard grew up on this farm but hasn't lived on the property for over twenty years. His mother still owns and lives on the land, while Lane and his wife, along with their three kids currently reside in Sioux Falls.

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The Mellegaard family has been raising pumpkins on the land since Lane's three children were little. For the past few years, the Mellegaard family would literally sell around a thousand pumpkins to people all over the Sioux Empire each year right out of their yard here in Sioux Falls and on Facebook.

However, as Dakota News Now reports, this year, the family made the decision to share their family "gourd mine" with others, by turning their farm into a public pumpkin patch, slash "theme park." The result was "Our Farm, SD."

What makes "Our Farm, SD" so special?

Well, for starters, everyone who visits Our Farm, SD gets to take home a free pumpkin gourd of their own.

While you're there, you can do things like launch gourds at trash can targets that are set up on a special pumpkin patch target range. The Mellegaards have also created their own version of a petting zoo, that not only contains a few animals to look at from afar, it also has a slide mountain, hay bale mountain, corn maze, corn pit, pedal track, zip lines, “duck races” and an obstacle course. Oh yeah, and a TON of pumpkins!

Mellegaard even quit his full-time job to have more time to devote to this full-time family farm affair. He hopes this whole experience will help to teach his kids how to grow pumpkins, raise animals, build stuff, and give back to people in the community.

Mellegaard told Dakota News Now, ”It’s a better joy than any other job you could actually have. Because he gets to share it with his family. They’re pretty special.”

If you would like to add "Our Farm, SD" to your list of fun things to do this Fall...

They are open Friday through Sunday from Noon to 6 PM each day. Admission is $5 dollars for adults and $10 for kids.

See all the fun things the Mellegaard family has planned for this Fall here.

Source: Dakota News Now

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