It’s time to pick apples and pumpkins near Sacramento. How will that work?
While Fog Willow Farms in Wilton awaits approval from Sacramento County health officials, a couple of the most popular agricultural tourism destinations in neighboring counties are opening for the harvest season with COVID-19 provisions in place.
Apple Hill in El Dorado County is open daily and Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Yuba County is preparing to open this weekend. Dave’s Pumpkin Patch in West Sacramento has announced it will open Sept. 26; Fog Willow Farms owner Joe Cates hopes his family-run farm will open in October, so other families have time to pick out pumpkins for Halloween.
“Right now the county isn’t letting us open,” Cates said. “You can go to a bar and drink outside on their patio, but you can’t go to a pumpkin farm with your kids in the open air with 7 acres. We’re in continuous talks with the county as we speak. Hopefully we get to open soon.”
Cates said he received approval from the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department on Thursday. He is awaiting approval from Sacramento County public health director Dr. Olivia Kasirye.
Cates said school field trips bring about 30,000 children to Fog Willow Farms every year. Half of those field trips were canceled in the spring when schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cates expects most schools to cancel field trips this fall as well, but he still hopes to welcome families to the farm from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31.
“If we are not able to open for October, it will be a minimum of 18 months that Fog Willow will not receive one dime in revenue,” Cates said. “We’ve been around for 17 years and we might end up closing.”
Cates said the farm, which employs about 40 people, is already equipped with many hand-washing and sanitation stations. If allowed to open this fall, the staff plans to introduce a new “Scrub Squad” to encourage children to practice good hygiene.
“We’re a teaching farm,” Cates said. “We’re a family entertainment center. We’re an outdoor museum. We’re a farmer’s market. We have a small little restaurant in October, so why do we not get to open when every bar and restaurant, the zoo and Fairytale Town are open as long as they serve outside? We have more square footage and social distancing than they do. Either shut everybody down or let everybody have a fair right to operate their business.”
Apple Hill
The Apple Hill Growers Association announced in July that Apple Hill, the state’s largest concentration of apple growers, would be open this harvest season.
Abel’s Apple Acres opened Friday. Goldbud Farms, 24Carrot Farm, Apple Ridge Farms, Rainbow Orchards are also open daily, according to social media posts. Some farms and wineries, including Wofford Acres Vineyards, are taking reservations for visits and you-pick activities, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead.
Visitors are asked to bring a mask and consider limiting groups to members of the same household. Facilities are set up to allow for proper social distancing and sanitation.
“Visiting our farms is a tradition for many families and we’re dedicated to making sure everyone feels safe while enjoying all that our farms and wineries have to offer,” Apple Hill Growers Association president Chris Delfino of Delfino Farms said in a news release. “We want guests to know that we are doing everything we can to make sure they have a fun and memorable experience here.”
Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm
Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland will open for the fall season Sept. 12. The farm has implemented employee training and health screening, increased sanitation checks, additional hand-washing and sanitizing stations, social distancing guidelines and indoor capacity limitations among other measures.
Visitors are asked to wear masks indoors and anytime social distancing efforts are compromised, but masks will not be required in open-air areas like the corn maze and pumpkin fields. Earlier this week, Yolo County officials gave the Bishops permission to operate attractions such as Coyote Mountain, the train and the carousel under certain provisions.
“It was a little iffy until then, but we have been optimistic with planning our season,” Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm human resources assistant Victoria Pesenti said. “We want to be able to do as much as we can for the community and for our business.”
This story was updated at 9:15 a.m. on Sept. 8 to reflect new information from Dave’s Pumpkin Patch. An earlier version of the story said the pumpkin patch would be closed until November.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 7:01 AM.
