Sue Sitter/PCT Posing near antique farm machinery at the location of the Prairie Village Museum’s future pumpkin patch are, from left, museum director Shane Engeland, museum board member Steve Dockter, and Rugby Chamber of Commerce Director Laurie Odden.

When snow melts and flowers bloom, thoughts turn to – pumpkins?

Not usually, but Rugby resident Steve Dockter says winter and spring months are a good time to plan ahead for fall. With help from the Rugby Chamber of Commerce and area businesses, Dockter and Prairie Village Museum board members plan to open a pumpkin patch and corn maze near the Prairie Village Museum in October.

The pumpkin patch is a joint project between the Chamber and museum, Dockter said.

“It’s sponsored by the chamber of commerce in conjunction with the museum because they’re going to be using our museum as the venue,” he explained.

The pumpkin patch and corn maze will sit just to the west of the museum buildings on the museum grounds, according to Dockter.

Dockter said he and other pumpkin patch organizers plan to open it to visitors for the five weekends of October. He said organizers hoped to open the pumpkin patch for school tours as well.

To be successful, though, the pumpkin patch project needs help from businesses, organizations, and the rest of the Rugby area community. Dockter said about half of the approximately $20,000 needed for a barrel train, corn maze, peat pots to start seeds over the large swath of land, and more has already been raised.

“The dollars are coming in,” he said. “A little over half of the events that I was proposing initially are funded already. I just started asking people in January for this, and we’ve already got over $10,000.”

However, Dockter said he believed people who’d expressed interest in the idea before might have put the pumpkin patch low on their list of priorities this spring.

“People hear ‘October’ and they think, ‘That’s a long way away,'” Dockter explained. “But, if we’re going to make the purchases, we need to make to get this stuff done, we need to have some cash in hand.

“We’ve got $1,500 worth of stuff committed to,” Dockter noted, listing contributions already made.

“One group said they’ll provide a grain bin and fill it with corn,” he said. “Someone else has already committed to the seed and weed protection for the corn maze. Somebody else has given seed, peat pots, and growing material to get the pumpkins started.”

Dockter said a small amount of cash for purchases sits in a bank account for the project as well.

He said some businesses had expressed interest in sponsoring the barrel train, which Dockter said is “ten 55-gallon plastic barrels cut out (for seats) and you pull it with a garden tractor.

“I thought we’d sell sponsorships per car at $250 per car,” Dockter said. “Farmers Union Insurance and the Pierce County Farmers Union stepped up and said, ‘We want to sponsor them all.’ They’ve committed to $2,500 for that.”

Like people in many businesses and organizations, museum board members have encountered problems receiving supplies for their projects.

Dockter said suppliers told Board President Dave Bednarz four of ten cars for the barrel train were on backorder. Shipping charges increased each time backordered items were delivered.

Still, Dockter said the project still moves along, and contributions are coming in.

“The Rugby Hockey Association gave us $2,400,” he said, adding the charity invited the museum to re-apply for any remaining funds that might be available to donate.

“Bremer Bank did a nice thing,” Dockter added. “They gave us $500 right away, and told us, ‘Come back in July and we’ll give you another $500.’ That’s great. Give us seed money.”

He said he had offered to speak to local clubs such as the Rugby Jaycees and Lions about the pumpkin patch. He estimated he’d contacted “over 100” businesses in town.

Other items still in the idea stage include a horse-drawn wagon to transport visitors from the museum parking lot to the pumpkin patch.

Chamber director Laurie Odden said she was excited about the pumpkin patch.

“Anything that brings people into Rugby and contributes to our economy, the chamber and the convention and visitors’ bureau are 100% on board with. We’ll help with this as much as we can. We’ll get the word out that we’ve got this going on here,” she said.

“Thanks to the museum and all their volunteers for helping to get this started,” Odden added.

“I got a very enthusiastic response,” Dockter said. “But we don’t have a lot of money coming in yet. This pumpkin patch is still a go but we do need some commitments fairly soon in the form of some cash.”

Dockter added, “All sponsors will receive recognition. It won’t go unnoticed.”

For more information on ways to help with the pumpkin patch, call 208-0539.