Schilter Family Farm: Cultivating pumpkins, Christmas trees and family traditions

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BY HEATHER CLARKE

The Schilter Family Farm truly is a family affair, managed by Jeff Schilter, his parents and his wife Stephanie and their seven children (ages 14 to one). Jeff is the third generation to operate the farm and he’s sharing that experience and providing a venue to formulate precious childhood memories and family traditions for thousands of people every year.

Families come from miles away to celebrate the harvest season by picking their perfect pumpkin straight from the patch. For many it just takes one visit to the Schilter Family Farm for the experience to become a family tradition, bringing them back year after year.

In fact, a few years ago a young man proposed to his fiancé in the Christmas tree field because he has such fond memories of growing up visiting the farm. Of course the two came back the next year, married, and starting their own tradition of visiting annually.

Admission to the farm is free, along with the petting farm and wagon rides on the weekends. But these activities are just the beginning of what the Schilters have to offer.

The one-of-a-kind corn maze (which has a different design and theme every year) is actually a scavenger hunt that gets you looking for clues as you meander through the corn stalks. Collect all the answers and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a free tree from the Schilter’s u-pick Christmas tree lot.

Tinier tots can travel through the shorter hay maze, built with hay bales in the old barn. The barn itself is a sight to see, dating back the 1800s. It provides a unique piece of history for the Nisqually valley.
After the hay maze, hop on a pedal tractor, check out a duck race or climb through the scarecrow castle (a fort made out of straw bales). Kids can get up close and personal with the animals in the petting farm. Goats, pigs, chickens, baby calves, sheep and kittens – the types of animals change by the seasons, but the fun is always the same. Watch pumpkins launched more than 300 yards with a custom built pumpkin cannon using an old military jeep.

After you’ve worked up an appetite picking your pumpkin, petting the animals and pedaling your tractor you can stock up on apples, winter squash and other fall vegetables. Hot spiced cider, espresso and concessions are also available on the weekends.
Inside the farm retail area you can find everything you need for the harvest season – straw bales, corn stalks, indian corn, pumpkin carving kits and holiday gifts that will add just the right touch to your fall decorations and fun.

“We look forward to our trip to the Schilter Family Farm every year,” shares Tenino resident Jennifer Myrick. As a mom to five kids, Jennifer knows a thing or two about what kids like.

“The pumpkin patch is one of our highlights of the year. As soon as school starts, the excitement begins to grow as they know in a few short weeks we will ramble our way through the pumpkin vines to pick the perfect pumpkin.” Jennifer’s favorite memories are of the kids smiling and laughing as they try to carry around their pumpkins, which always seem to be way too big for them.

For the Schilter family, harvest doesn’t end with autumn. Starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving you can stop by the farm to harvest the perfect Christmas tree on their u-cut or pre-cut tree lots. Beautiful Noble, Fraser, Grand and Douglas Firs are available – you pick the right tree for your holiday celebration. Branch out and shop for wreaths, cedar garland and other holiday gifts in the Schilter retail store. After picking out your tree take a walk through the barn to see a lovely lighted nativity scene.
The Schilter Family Farm hasn’t always been about pumpkins and Christmas trees.

For 60 years the Schilter Family Farm was strictly a dairy farm. They had gotten to the point about 14 years ago where they needed to make some major investments if they wanted to keep the dairy farm operating and they weren’t so sure their location was ideal for dairy farming in the future. So in 1997 they experimented with their first pumpkin patch and found it was a great fit for them.

Located right off I-5 in the Nisqually valley near Olympia, their visibility to the freeway was always a relatively negative thing with dairy farming, but was actually an asset for marketing the pumpkin patch and the farm as a family destination. The Christmas trees came along in 1999.
Fast forward to 2009 and the Schilter Family Farm includes a 15-acre pumpkin patch, a 30-acre Christmas tree lot, and a farm experience that families look forward to every year.

“You become part of people’s lives. It’s more than just providing a good experience in October, but rather about leaving a lasting impression and helping them create lifelong memories,” shares Jeff.

Apples, sweet corn, zucchini, beets, lettuce, beans, strawberries, raspberries, pumpkin or apple butter, and much more can be found throughout the seasons at the farm or the retail store which is a little less than two miles away from the farm. School tours, birthday parties and barn party rentals are available in October.

The farm is open from 10 am -6 pm daily during u-pick pumpkin season.
For Christmas trees the farm is open 10 am to dusk at the farm and 10 am to 7 pm at the retail store. Hours vary slightly by season so call ahead (360) 459-4023 or visit www.schilterfamilyfarm.com for more details and directions.