Remlinger Farms

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By Gail Greenwood Ayres

Imagine 100 acres of strawberries ripening on the vine, ready to pick in just two weeks. A farmer's dream.

But then your major buyer, a grocery store chain, says that it will be buying berries from California instead this year. What a nightmare!

Yet, in the early 1970s this very scenario put Gary and Bonnie Remlinger on the path of an amazing adventure, turning potential hardship into blessing, not just for them but for the whole community.

Gary Remlinger, 64, grew up on the strawberry farm. His wife Bonnie, 63, lived down the road and started working for his folks, Floyd and Eleanor Remlinger, when she was 12. Then it consisted of 30 acres of strawberries that were picked and sold primarily wholesale.

In 1963 Gary purchased the farm next door. In 1965 the couple married and began to manage his parents’ farm, which they bought over the years.

After years of expansion, the farm has grown into a 350-acre enterprise that employs approximately 200 people from May to October, and welcomes between 300,000 to 400,000 visitors a year.

They expanded the strawberry production to 100 acres, which brings us back to the nightmare when the fields were plump with strawberries but no buyer lined up.

“We decided to have U-pick strawberries and offer the first and best berries at wholesale prices,” remembers Bonnie. “We had a line of cars parked bumper to bumper up to a half a mile away. It was a great success!”

Remlinger Farms in Carnation is now a huge, bustling U-pick farm with a beautiful theme park, picnic areas, restaurant, bakery, market, and gift shop. The bakery wholesales some 20 varieties of frozen, U-bake fruit and berry pies year-round to more than 200 Northwest grocery stores.

With farm animals, a shiny steam engine train, roller coaster and various other rides nestled in a landscaped park, it is definitely a  destination stop. Remlinger Farms serves as a place to go for a day’s entertainment and sit-down meal, or a venue for a corporate picnic or special occasion such as a birthday party or wedding.

A Northwest Original

In 1974, a big break came when KOMO Radio in Seattle asked the farm to host a pumpkin festival. They agreed.

“We were the very first pumpkin festival in the Northwest, and we’re still the biggest pumpkin festival.” Bonnie said.

Into the 1980s, Remlinger Farms was selling as much as 1,000 tons of pumpkins annually throughout Washington, Alaska and Idaho, solidifying their reputation as major pumpkin producers.

The farm continued to grow as did the vision for it and its reputation.In 1984, the farm expanded to include farm animals, rides, a pioneer homestead and a beekeeper, becoming a full scale attraction.

The magnificent steam engine, the giant pedal race cars and the Ford Model T electric track – the same one that was at the Seattle Center for the World’s Fair in 1962 – were also added and quickly became favorites.

Pumpkin Festival

With its 7-acre corn maze, hay maze, hay jump, blow up slides and extra rides and attractions, the Remlinger Farms pumpkin festival will attract 3,000 to 5,000 people each weekend. On weekdays, Bonnie expects to see up to 20,000 children on field trip tours.

During the pumpkin festival, the $15.25 entry fee includes all-day, unlimited access to the corn maze, hay maze, hay jump and horizontal climbing wall; all the rides and activities; and entertainment, including performances by local singer, songwriter and poet, Eric Ode and Lolly the Clown. Festival activities are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekend through October.

A Walk on the Wild Side

Pony rides on the farm quickly became another long-standing favorite of visitors. Each child is hand-led through a path, giving the experience a trail ride feeling. It’s also a place you might find animal lover Bonnie.

And just recently, Bonnie added a “Farm after Dark” display showcasing the kinds of wild animals that roam the farm at night when all the guests are gone. Thanks to taxidermist E-bay postings, she was able to find skunks, cougar, deer, coyote, beaver, otter, weasels, bears, raccoon, fox, ducks and bobcats, which are displayed along a wooded, darkened path with spotlights on the animals.

“I want to show the kids that farms benefit wildlife and give kids a chance to see the wild animals up close that we see on the farm.”

Keeping it Local

This year’s economy has affected the enterprise in an interesting way.While corporate events traditionally brought in about 50 percent of the farm’s annual income, in this economic climate, many businesses are cutting back on such celebrations.

But the rest of the enterprise was up 27 percent this summer, perhaps indicating that people are playing, shopping, and dining locally.

And that’s just what Bonnie says their vision has been – “To give people something they need at a reasonable price and to provide family activities.”

Building a Legacy

In the middle of building a bustling business, Gary and Bonnie raised a family. And now their children, David, Debrah, and Diane have families of their own.

It’s Diane, 40, a lawyer, and her husband, Will Hart, 47, a construction engineer, who are choosing to take the Remlinger Farms to the next generation. They help manage the farm, and their three sons, Trevor, 11, and twins, Tyler and Trenton, 9, love to pitch in.

After years of expansion, the farm has grown into a 350-acre enterprise that employs approximately 200 people from May to October, and welcomes between 300,000 to 400,000 visitors a year.

As the farm moves to the future, Diane said she and Will see these next few years as a time of maintenance and refining what the farm already offers.

“My dad’s lifelong dream is to have a family farm that lasts for generations,” said Diane. “I like the idea of being able to raise my kids with the same experiences that I had.”

In fact, Trevor’s already thinking ahead to when he might run the place, Diane says.

For more information about Remlinger Farms visit www.remlingerfarms.com or call (425) 333-4135.