Growing pumpkins got its start in 1988 while Tom was attending UW Madison and he began delivering to a couple of independently owned grocery stores. As the years continued Tom kept growing and selling pumpkins. After getting married in 1992, Tracey began marketing their pumpkins and their business began to take off.
In 2000 Tom & Tracey purchased 35 acres, where they are currently located, and expanded their pumpkin acres from 3 to 16 and added gourds into the mix. Little by little they added more acreage and have been at 25 acres of vine crops for many years now. On top of the 35 acres that they own, they rent another 300 acres where they also grow field corn and soybeans.
Tom & Tracey, along with their 2 daughters, attended a Vegetable Growers Conference in 2002. They always learn something new at each and every conferences they attend! This particular one taught them that they can add squash into the mix of crops to grow with very little change in what they already have done. Now they plant more squash acres per year than pumpkin acres.
Their daughters Katherine and Kirstin have contribute to the overall success of their farm by working in the fields planting and picking, working in the processing shed washing and packing, and working on the On Farm Farm Stand.
The Wisconsin Food Hub is another way for Pleasant Valley Acres, LLC to market their squash. We have already been selling directly to grocery stores for 27 years and this will be a perfect addition to what we already do on a daily basis.