
Photo by Emily Featherston
A family inspects the variety of pumpkins that were available at the Alpine Farms pumpkin sale Oct. 1, 2017. The sale proceeds from this year’s pumpkin patch will benefit the Boy Scouts.
After a local couple adopted their daughter this summer, they’ve decided to hand off the operations of a local pumpkin patch to the Boy Scouts.
Derek and Rushton Waltchack, operators of Alpine Farms Pumpkin Patch, said they needed to take some time off, and the Boy Scouts, who have helped in the past, will handle the pumpkin patch this year.
“We adopted a little girl from China and decided we needed to take this year off,” Derek Waltchack said. “Fortunately, the Boy Scouts are running the sale this year, and proceeds will go to their organization, but Alpine Farms will be back in 2019.”
Alpine Farms has run the pumpkin patch since 2014, with sales going to help the Waltchacks and others adopt children.
Patrick Vacarella with the Boy Scouts said the pumpkin patch will still be located at Scout Square on U.S. 31 in Vestavia, in front of the post office. The patch is expected to begin Sept. 28, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
Rather than allowing the sale to be missed this year, Vacarella said he wanted the Scouts to take it over and run it, like they do with the annual Christmas tree sale.
For the Scouts that help families pick their perfect pumpkin, they’ll learn a good work ethic and how to treat customers, Vacarella said.