Key Takeaways
- Howell’s Pumpkin Patch dates back to a family farm established in 1878
- The farm adapted during the 1980s by experimenting with alternative crops
- A small pumpkin patch grew into an 18-acre destination
- Agritourism allows visitors to experience real farm life firsthand
- Goat cuddling and online content expanded the farm’s popularity
- The farm remains a working agricultural operation
- A sixth generation is helping guide its future
In the heart of Iowa, Howell’s Pumpkin Patch and Greenhouse stands as more than a seasonal attraction—it’s a multigenerational story of resilience, creativity, and connection to the land. For those searching for an authentic farm experience near a pumpkin patch Des Moines, Howell’s offers something far deeper than a typical fall outing.
From Farmland to Family Destination
The Howell family story begins in 1878, when the original farm was purchased and gradually expanded to nearly 2,000 acres. Over time, as land was divided across generations, the farm settled at around 800 acres. Today, it remains both a working agricultural operation and a thriving agritourism destination.
Fred Howell, a fifth-generation farmer, now leads the farm. While much of the land still supports traditional farming—like corn production and cattle—about 50 acres are dedicated to welcoming visitors. This balance between agriculture and tourism didn’t happen overnight.
During the 1980s farm crisis, Fred faced the same uncertainty as many farmers across the country. Instead of giving up, he experimented with alternative crops such as dried flowers. Without much experience, he learned through trial and error, selling at farmers markets and slowly building knowledge. These early experiments laid the foundation for a more diversified and sustainable business model.
The Birth of the Pumpkin Patch
The pumpkin patch began as a small addition—just half an acre and two wagons. Visitors were already coming to the farm for seasonal products like mums, and pumpkins felt like a natural extension.
What started as a simple idea quickly grew into a central attraction. Today, Howell’s features 18 acres of pumpkins, giving families the opportunity to walk the fields and pick their own. That experience alone sets it apart from buying a pumpkin at a store—it becomes a memory rather than a transaction.
Over time, the farm expanded its offerings to create a full-day experience. Visitors can enjoy:
- A six-acre corn maze redesigned each year
- Wagon rides across the property
- A giant bull slide and jumping pad
- Pumpkin and corn cannons
- A corn pool for hands-on play
Each addition reflects a deliberate effort to create a place where families can explore, play, and return year after year.
What Is Agritourism?
Agritourism is at the heart of Howell’s success. Simply put, it’s about inviting people onto farms to experience agriculture firsthand. For many guests, it’s their first time stepping onto a real farm.
Instead of viewing farmland from a distance, visitors can walk through it, interact with animals, and learn how farm life works. This hands-on experience is both educational and refreshing.
More importantly, it offers something many people are missing—space to slow down. The quiet setting, open fields, and natural environment provide a break from the pace of everyday life.
Goat Cuddling: A Unique Experience
One of Howell’s most popular features is goat cuddling, an idea that grew out of the goat yoga trend. Erin Howell, the sixth generation of the family, helped expand this into a signature attraction.
Guests can bottle-feed baby goats, hold them, and spend time simply relaxing with the animals. The experience quickly became a favorite among visitors, many of whom return regularly.
The farm gained widespread attention when a goat birth was livestreamed online, drawing millions of viewers. Since then, Howell’s has continued sharing these moments, building a strong online presence and expanding its reach beyond local visitors.
For many people, goat cuddling has become more than a novelty—it’s a calming and memorable part of their visit.
A Farm, Not a Theme Park
Despite its growth, Howell’s has remained true to its identity as a working farm. This authenticity is one of its strongest differentiators.
The farm is not designed to feel like a carnival. Instead, it emphasizes natural beauty and simplicity. Visitors will find shaded areas, open spaces, and small discoveries throughout the property.
This approach creates a more relaxed experience. Families can enjoy activities while still feeling connected to the land and its purpose.
A Sixth Generation Future
Erin Howell represents the next chapter of the farm’s story. As the sixth generation, she brings fresh ideas while continuing the traditions that define Howell’s.
Her involvement highlights the farm’s ability to evolve. By combining agriculture, visitor experiences, and digital engagement, the farm continues to adapt to changing expectations.
At the same time, its core values—hard work, creativity, and community—remain unchanged.
Why the Experience Matters
What makes Howell’s memorable isn’t just the size of the pumpkin patch or the number of attractions—it’s the experience itself. Picking a pumpkin from the field, exploring the farm, and interacting with animals creates lasting memories, especially for those seeking a true pumpkin patch Des Moines experience.
Visitors become part of the story. They return not just for the activities, but for the feeling the farm provides.
FAQs
What makes Howell’s Pumpkin Patch unique?
It combines a working farm with visitor experiences, offering authenticity along with entertainment.
What is agritourism?
Agritourism invites people onto farms to learn about agriculture and enjoy rural life.
What activities are available?
Visitors can pick pumpkins, explore the corn maze, enjoy rides, and interact with animals, including goat cuddling.
Is it family-friendly?
Yes, Howell’s is designed for all ages, making it ideal for families and groups.
Who runs the farm?
Fred Howell leads the farm today, with Erin Howell preparing to take over as the sixth generation.
Quick Highlights: The Howell’s Experience
- Established 1878: A 6th-generation working farm with deep Iowa roots.
- 18-Acre Pumpkin Patch: A massive U-pick destination near Des Moines.
- Beyond Attractions: A real agricultural operation, not just a theme park.
- Goat Cuddling: A viral, calming experience led by Erin Howell.
As featured in our live interview with Erin Howell. Watch the Full Story Here →
Mike Downer: Hey everybody. I am Mike Downer, and I am your host for Howell’s Family Experience. Today, I’m joined by Fred and Erin Howell of Howell’s Greenhouse, and I’m also joined by my boss and the owner of JAR Consulting Group, Kevin Wosmansky. How are you all doing today, guys?
Fred Howell: Good.
Erin Howell: Good.
Kevin Wosmansky: Doing great.
Mike Downer: This episode has been a long time coming, Fred and Erin. We’ve been talking about this for a while, haven’t we?
Fred Howell: Yes.
Erin Howell: Yes, you have.
Mike Downer: There you go—pestering me about it. We can see how excited Fred is. He doesn’t want to be out working on the farm. He doesn’t want to be building things right now. He wanted to sit down and actually get in front of a camera. So Erin, I’m guessing Fred’s been pulling at your arm for the last couple of months to get this going, right?
Erin Howell: I’ve been super excited.
Mike Downer: All right. We’ve been looking at this for a while. Erin and I have been talking about it, so I get to be part of this initial episode. So, Fred—really tough question coming your way. Tell us, what is Howell’s Pumpkin Patch and Greenhouse? We’re going to dive into learning more about the history behind Howell’s Pumpkin Patch and Greenhouse. Go ahead, Fred. Start off with some background about the farm.
Fred Howell: Well, Howell’s Pumpkin Patch is where everybody’s happy place is. That’s why they come. The farm was originally purchased in 1878. At one point in time there were two thousand acres, but I’m the fifth generation, and every generation screwed up somewhere and sold parcels off. Anyway, there are eight hundred acres still remaining. Fifty acres I use for my agritourism enterprise.
It all started in 1985, in the middle of the farm crisis. I had just come home from college, and alternative crops were a big deal. We heard a rumor of some lady sixty miles from here who could make tens of thousands of dollars from a fraction of an acre of dried flowers. So I planted four kinds—statice and strawflowers. I didn’t know what the plant looked like, I didn’t know what the flower looked like, and I didn’t know how I was going to market it. I just started taking it to farmers markets and learned the hard way. I made lots of trips to the burn barrel.
Over the years, it just evolved. We added the pumpkin patch. We added mums. We added a greenhouse. We tried strawberries. We tried lots of things— asparagus. Now we have goat cuddling, so everybody can come and decompress holding a baby goat.
Kevin Wosmansky: So you said you’re fifth generation, Fred. Is that right? So who’s the lady sitting there on camera?
Fred Howell: That would be Erin—the next one in line.
Kevin Wosmansky: Erin Howell, your daughter. So hi, Erin. How are you today?
Erin Howell: I’m good.
Kevin Wosmansky: So Erin’s going to be sixth generation, correct?
Erin Howell: Yep.
Kevin Wosmansky: Back on the history just a little bit, Fred—you said Nelson Howell purchased two thousand acres back in 1878. Is that right?
Fred Howell: Yes. He bought the first six or seven hundred and then acquired more property after that.
Kevin Wosmansky: So Howell’s is and has been an actual working Iowa farm. Is that correct?
Fred Howell: It still is a working farm. There are still 120 acres of cow-calf pairs here, and we still have 100 acres of corn.
Kevin Wosmansky: So what in the heck is agritourism, Fred?
Fred Howell: Bringing people to the farm. Most people don’t step foot on a farm. All they know is from the car window at sixty miles an hour. They come here—it’s quiet, it’s peaceful, it’s just a whole different universe. They get to see the animals and basically frolic on various play structures we have.
Kevin Wosmansky: Let’s talk about Howell’s Pumpkin Patch. How did the pumpkin patch evolve?
Fred Howell: Originally I started with flowers to dry because dried flowers were popular in the late ’80s and ’90s, but that fell out of fashion. People were coming in the fall anyway, and I was also raising a couple thousand mums. Pumpkins felt like a natural fit. I planted a half acre of pumpkins and had two little red wagons. That’s all I was going to do. That did not work out.
Now we have eighteen acres of pumpkins, a corn maze, wagon rides, a giant bull slide, a low ropes course, a jumping pad, a bathtub train, a pumpkin cannon, a corn cannon, and the corn pool—which is basically a sandbox full of corn.
Mike Downer: Isn’t corn a little dusty?
Fred Howell: We treat it for dust, but yeah—you might come out looking like a floured tortilla.
Kevin Wosmansky: How big is your corn maze?
Fred Howell: Six acres. It changes every year.
Kevin Wosmansky: Ever had anybody get lost?
Fred Howell: We had to send out a search party—yes. Sadly.
Mike Downer: He was an adult too.
Kevin Wosmansky: What do you attribute all that growth to?
Fred Howell: I have half the state’s population within a forty-mile radius, I’m on a paved road off the interstate, and I have an active imagination. I just can’t stop dreaming stuff up. It’s a fun job building all these things.
Kevin Wosmansky: Why is picking your own pumpkin different than getting one at the grocery store?
Fred Howell: Because you remember it. Growing up, we always had a pumpkin, but I have no idea where it came from. When they pick their own, they get pictures, make decisions, and it becomes a treasure hunt.
Erin Howell: Goat yoga went viral around 2016–2017. We had goats and decided to try it. We started letting people bottle-feed baby goats, and it got really busy. Eventually people just wanted to cuddle the goats, so we opened the farm for goat cuddling. People stay for hours. Some buy season passes and treat it like therapy.
One goat named Sam went into labor, and I streamed it on Facebook Live. It blew up—millions of people watched. Then I posted it on YouTube, and it did great. Now we livestream goat births from our goat nursery.
Kevin Wosmansky: Fred, what makes Howell’s different?
Fred Howell: We’re still a farm. We’re not a carnival next to a farmstead. We have trees, shade, white picket fences, and things to discover around every corner.
Kevin Wosmansky: Erin, what are the top three things to do?
Erin Howell: Feeding the animals, playing on the playground, and just being outside learning how farm life works.
Kevin Wosmansky: That kind of rounds us out. This was great learning about Howell’s Pumpkin Patch. We’ll learn more next episode. Have a great day.
All: Thanks. Bye.
