How to set up a profitable pumpkin patch on your farm or land & inspirational examples
Whether you’re a serious autumn enthusiast or are just looking for a way to boost your farm’s profits, setting up a pumpkin patch could be a really rewarding experience.
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Autumn has a special place in the hearts of candle-lighting, cosy-night-in-loving people everywhere. And the act of finding and picking the perfectly formed jack-o-lantern (or pie-filling, or fireplace decoration...) becoming a seasonal right of passage.
Whether you’re a serious autumn enthusiast (guilty as charged, over here! 🍁👋), or are just looking for a way to boost your farm’s profits, setting up a pumpkin patch could be a really rewarding experience.
In this guide, we walk you through all the steps you’ll need to take to set up your own pumpkin patch business, with tips for making it as profitable as possible. We also include a handy checklist and inspirational ideas to give you the best chance at succeeding. Let’s go! 🎃
How to start a pumpkin patch – your step-by-step guide
Creating a pumpkin patch business takes time and dedication, but the rewards can be great. Here’s all you need to know.
🌱 Assess your land – is it pumpkin-patch ready?
First, it’s important to fully assess whether your land provides the right conditions for growing pumpkins. Areas to look into include:
Soil: soil should be fertile with good pH levels, and it’ll need to drain properly (so, no soggy, waterlogged areas).
Water: there’ll need to be a reliable source of water, and you should avoid areas that are vulnerable to flooding.
Sunlight: your pumpkin patch will need to be in full sunlight for six-eight hours a day.
Land: make sure you’ve got enough land for the amount of pumpkins you’ll need to grow to turn a profit. It should also be of the right size and shape to allow for crop rotation.
Frost: pumpkins are frost-sensitive, so won’t do well in land that gets heavy frosts in key growing seasons.
📚Do your research – weigh up the pros & cons
Now that you know your land is viable for growing pumpkins, it’s time to dig deep into whether this is a good business to pursue for you, personally.
Do plenty of research into what exactly it takes to run a pumpkin patch – and weigh up the pros and cons in as much detail as possible. For example, some pros and cons that might sway your decision include:
Pumpkin patch pros to consider
Great fun!
There might be a high demand in your area
Pumpkins are relatively easy to grow
You can get super creative and bring in lots of different revenue streams by expanding your offering
Pumpkin patch cons to consider
It’s a seasonal business
There might be too much investment required (in pumpkin farming equipment, for example)
There might be too much competition in your area
The pros and cons you identify will depend on factors that are unique to you and the area you live in. Which is why taking the time to really understand these is an important step to take before committing to anything.
💰Calculate how much investment you’ll need
Next up, it’s time to look at numbers. Even though you’re working with land you already own/have the rights to, there’ll be other costs involved in setting up your pumpkin patch. For example, you may need to spend money to:
Purchase pumpkin farming equipment
Set up a brand and website or pay someone to help you with this
Market your pumpkin patch – for example, through paid ads online, on TV or in local papers
Pay staff – you might need extra hands on-deck, depending on the scale of your operation
🔎 Identify your target audience
Are you looking to cater to families with young kids in search of fun days out? Social media influencers on the hunt for the perfect Instagram or TikTok opportunity? Tourists from out of town who want an exciting way to experience the natural beauty of your area?
Figuring out who exactly will be interested in your pumpkin patch, and how you can cater to them, is a crucial step in the planning process – as this will inform everything from your core offering to your marketing tactics.
💡 Hone your brand and offering
To turn a healthy profit from your pumpkin patch, it’s likely you’ll need to have more than one string to your bow. For example, you could sell harvested pumpkins as well as running pick-your-own (U-pick) events. With U-pick events, you can diversify even further by adding in other experiential elements – from haunted Halloween tours to cooking classes, kids entertainment and family picnics (see our inspirational examples below to get the creative juices flowing!).
You’ll also want to develop a unique and recognisable brand for your pumpkin patch. This will involve:
Coming up with a catchy name
Developing a logo and aesthetic theme
Developing a brand identity and story that’s appealing to your target audience
🎃Become a pumpkin-growing expert
Ready to roll up your sleeves and study all there is to know about growing pumpkins? Because you’ll definitely need to be somewhat of an expert to make a go of your business. Luckily, pumpkins are relatively easy to grow – but you’ll still need to understand the nitty-gritty of things like:
How much room certain pumpkin varieties need to grow (the most common varieties are of the large, sprawling plant kind which need plenty of room, but smaller, more compact plant varieties are available).
Threats to pumpkin growth – which diseases they’re vulnerable to.
The best season for growing pumpkins (they need a long, hot growing season to then be harvested for the colder months).
Which pumpkin varieties are popular/trendy at the moment – for example, more unusual pumpkins in a range of shapes and colors have been popular in recent years.
✅ Secure the relevant licenses and insurance
You might need additional licenses or permissions to set up a pumpkin patch business on your land. To find out, just enquire with your local authority.
You may also need different types of business insurance. For example, you probably want to take out public liability insurance if you plan on running u-pick events where members of the public spend time on your land.
If you need a business loan to set up your pumpkin patch, you’ll need to put together a comprehensive business plan. This will need to outline exactly what your plans are for your pumpkin patch – with details about how you will make money and meet your targets. It’ll also need to include competitor analysis, information about your company's vision and mission statement, your planned marketing strategy and basically any other relevant information about how you’ll run your business.
There are tons of great resources online that can help you put together a great business plan if you’ve never done one before – like this guide + template from HubSpot.
🍁 Plant your pumpkins and plan some awesome autumnal events!
By now you should be in a good position to start bringing your plans into fruition. In other words – get those pumpkins planted!
You’ll also need to start officially planning your events and any other aspects of your pumpkin patch offering. If you plan on running U-pick events in the autumn season, for example, you should start planning how long your sessions will be, what you’ll offer as part of the event, how many people can attend each session and how you’ll price and sell tickets.
💸 Price your pumpkin patch events
Pricing your pumpkin patch is about balancing accessibility with profit. Here are some wquick tips to help you decide on the best approach for your business:
Research local benchmarks
Check what nearby farms or seasonal attractions charge for U-pick pumpkins, admission fees, and add-on activities. This gives you a starting baseline.
Decide on your pricing model
You can charge:
Free entry + pay per pumpkin (popular for casual family visitors)
Paid entry + included pumpkin (great for managing revenue and attendance flow)
Tiered ticketing (e.g. general admission vs. premium activities like hayrides or haunted trails)
Factor in your costs
Base prices on:
Growing and equipment costs
Labour and staffing
Marketing and ticketing
Insurance and permissions
Additional experiences offered
Try out dynamic pricing
Try offering peak and off-peak pricing to manage crowds, and play around with discounted and premium options too. For example, weekends could be premium, weekdays could be discounted or even free.
⚒️Plan the operational elements of your pumpkin patch
Once your pumpkins are planted and your events are planned, you’ll need to think about the operational systems that ensure everything runs smoothly on the ground. Key areas include:
Site layout & visitor flow
Plan clear entry/exit points, signage, pathways, queues, and activity zones to avoid congestion and confusion.
Staffing & training
Decide how many staff you need (parking attendants, ticket checkers, field helpers, café operators, etc.) and train them on customer service and safety.
Have a system for handling busy arrival times and overflow parking.
On-site amenities
You’ll need toilets, hand-washing stations, shade, water points, seating, and clear rest areas.
Equipment & maintenance
Keep tools, wheelbarrows, payment devices, signage, lighting, and props well-maintained and ready for use throughout the season.
Clean-up & daily resets
A quick daily routine – restocking pumpkins, refreshing signage, tidying pathways – keeps your patch looking neat (and Insta-worthy!).
💻 Set up a website and/or online event registration
You may choose to set up a dedicated website for your pumpkin patch. Platforms like Plot, Wix, Squarespace and WordPress are all geared towards small business owners, with relatively simple set-up instructions and lots of themed templates to choose from.
Tip: if you use Ticket Tailor as your ticketing partner, you can integrate your ticket box office page with your website, so you can sell tickets directly from the website itself. Or, you can simply use your own, fully customized Ticket Tailor box office page for all your ticketing and event registration needs. Meaning you don’t actually need a website if you don’t want one.
Finally, you’ll need to get the word out about your brand new pumpkin patch!
Aim to take a multi-pronged approach in promoting your patch and events, including:
Social media marketing: create compelling, inspirational content across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Pinterest – wherever your audience hangs out most. Try: setting up a dedicated hashtag, jumping on the latest social media trends, and using paid advertising options for an additional boost.
PR coverage: Liaising with local newspapers in getting some PR coverage for your pumpkin patch. Even a short interview with a local online news site could expand your reach massively.
Word-of-mouth: Encourage visitors to leave reviews on Google, Facebook and local platforms.
Offline marketing: Even simple marketing tactics like flyering around the local high street can help spread the word about your business.
We have a whole host of guides on marketing for events, which should give you more than enough to work with if you’re new to event promotion. To get started, check out:
Decide your core offering (U-pick, pre-harvested sales, add-on activities)
Develop your brand: name, logo, story, visual identity
Choose pumpkin varieties based on trends and land capacity
Learn pumpkin-growing requirements and timelines
Secure licenses and insurance (especially public liability)
Write a business plan and secure funding (if needed)
Plan event formats, staffing, session lengths, and ticketing
Build your website and/or Ticket Tailor box office
Launch a marketing plan and PR outreach
Prepare the site for visitors (signage, parking, safety measures)
🎃💫 Inspirational pumpkin patch ideas to enhance your business even more
Give your pumpkin patch the best chance at success with these inspirational, profit-boosting ideas:
Serve hot food and drinks
Offer autumn favorites like hot chocolate, mulled apple juice, soups, and toasted sandwiches to give visitors a more enriching experience.
Create plenty of photo opportunities
From hay-bale displays to giant pumpkins and rustic archways, simple seasonal décor encourages visitors to share their experience online. This, in turn, helps promote your patch and sell more tickets.
Run pumpkin-carving workshops
Offer guided carving sessions with tools and templates provided – great for kids and a nice upsell for adults wanting something creative.
Host a “Mini Farmers” play area
Set up a small corner with toy tractors, hay bales and sensory bins so little ones can play safely while adults browse.
Sell autumnal add-ons
Think pumpkin-themed cookies, crafts, wreaths or carving kits. The small type of impulse buys that boost average spend.
Offer tractor or trailer rides
A short loop through the farm or patch gives visitors a memorable experience and is an easy way to increase both fun and flow.
💸 Grow your pumpkin patch business with profit-friendly ticketing
Don’t let eye-watering ticketing fees eat up your pumpkin patch profits. Ticket Tailor is loved by agritourism businesses for our industry-beating low fees (you won’t find cheaper anywhere), user-friendly platform and fast, friendly customer support.
We just charge a simple flat fee per ticket with zero hidden costs – helping you retain as much of your profits as possible, and run even better events from your farm. Bingo.
