Walters’ Pumpkin Patch Receives a $24,665 Attraction Development Grant!

By Madinah Hazim, Public Information Officer

Becky Walters has a passion for pumpkins. She grows all types of pumpkins. She has white pumpkins, red-orange pumpkins, peach pumpkins, black pumpkins, gray-green pumpkins and gray-blue pumpkins.

Walters started growing pumpkins for fun in 1988. Her hobby turned into a successful business.

"I just started growing my own pumpkins and we sold them one by one," Walters said. "Then one day a schoolteacher came out to the pumpkin patch and she wanted to bring the children in her class. When she brought the kids, we had more fun than they did, so we kept having children come out to pick their pumpkins."

Walters and her husband, Carroll, are the owners of Walters’ Pumpkin Patch located at 10001 NW 77 Highway, in Burns, Kan.

“The pumpkin patch is not only for kids, but it’s also fun for adults,” Walters said.

According to Walters, her pumpkin patch has something for everyone. Visitors can take a hay rack ride, buy a gift at the gift shop, play on the underground slide, go through the corn maze, go through a spooky elevator, and throw pumpkins in the air with a giant sling shot.

Even with all those activities, Walters is planning on expanding Walters’ Pumpkin Patch even more.

Walters’ Pumpkin Patch just received an Attraction Development Grant from Kansas Department of Commerce, which it will use to create a “Seed to Salsa” learning center, where visitors can see pumpkin salsa being made from pumpkin pulp. Funding for the Attraction Development Grant was derived from Kansas Lottery proceeds.

Walters hopes that the learning center will attract more visitors to the pumpkin patch, as increasing numbers of people seek entertainment through agritourism opportunities.

“Lottery funds generated the money for the grant that we received,” Walters said. “The grant is great because we are going to be able to build the learning center.”

After visiting the new learning center, Walters wants people to walk away knowing that “pumpkin isn’t just for your grandma’s pumpkin pie.”

“I want to expand people’s knowledge of pumpkins and let them know that there are lots of things they can do with pumpkins,” Walters said. “We also want to try to increase tourism in the state of Kansas. Kansas is a beautiful state with a lot to see and do.”

Don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy Walters’ Pumpkin Patch this fall. Walters’ Pumpkin Patch is open daily, starting the third week in September until Oct. 31, 2005. For more information on Walters’ Pumpkin Patch, visit www.walterspumpkinpatch.com.

Somebody's always winning at the Kansas Lottery! Thanks to Lottery proceeds, economic development is growing in Kansas communities.

To read more economic development stories visit the economic development page .

For information regarding Kansas Lottery money distribution visit the where the money goes page.