BY AMANDA PEVEY
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Coosada Elementary School Kindergarten’s class in the green pod went on their very first field trip for the 2021-2022 school year. A group of 80 children and their teachers went to Penton Farms Pumpkin Patch in Verbena, Alabama on October 29, 2021.
Whitley Daniel, Kimmie Skipper, Tynice Murray, and Megan Rogers are the four teachers in the green pod for the Kindergarten classes at CES. Once arriving to Penton Farms two more schools arrived at the Penton Farms Pumpkin Patch – Eclectic Elementary School Kindergarten class and the United Christian Learning Academy.
All of the children learned how to milk a cow, how chickens lay their eggs, and they also made their way into a corn maze which all of the children enjoyed learning how to find their way out. Children also were able to feed and pet the goats. The classes had a chance to get up close and pet a cow as well. One of the most exciting activities the children enjoyed was the huge playground.
There were many different slides, a super slide, a corn pit, swings shaped like a horse, bicycles, and huge barrels that the children were able to crawl inside and push it from one end to the other. The school provided lunch for the students, but if a student wanted to bring a lunch from home, that was ok to do as well. Parents that were able to attend with their child on the field trip were able to purchase food at Penton Farms.
Once all the activities were done, the students were instructed to get on a hayride with their teacher so they could travel to a field to pick out their very own pumpkin.
Parents that attended were able to take home a pumpkin as well. There were many photo opportunities for families. Rachell Penton, owner of Penton Farms, made sure each class was directed into the right direction for all of the activities.
Penton, and her husband Scott Penton, have two children, Austin and Courtney. They have 200,000 strawberry plants that are planted in October that are ready in the spring. There are also 6,000 peach trees and about 50 acres of pumpkins. They also have over 100 head of cattle.
Penton Farms has 60 acres of land dedicated to the pumpkin patch. “I grew up as a peach farmer’s daughter, then married my high school sweetheart, and then started farming a few years down the road and it has grown ever since,” said Rachell Penton. Before COVID hit, they had over 100 schools attend Penton Farms. In 2021, there have been a total of 60 schools attending Penton Farms. “The number of schools did drop for us in 2021, but having it open to the public, this year has been a record-breaking year and we are so blessed,” said Rachell.
Penton Farm’s last day for the Pumpkin Patch was Saturday October 30th.
You can learn more about them at their Facebook page – If you would like more information, visit www.facebook.com/pentonfarms
They are located at: 3595 County Road 59, Verbena, AL 36091. Please call (205) 351-1480 if you have questions regarding upcoming events.
