Jack O Lantern Lane now open in LaFayette
Published 7:00 am Thursday, October 3, 2019
LaFAYETTE — Jack O Lantern Lane Pumpkin Patch has opened for the season. It’s open to the public Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31 and to schools and groups on weekdays by reservation.
Founders Tammy and Glenn Morgan are in their 15th year hosting the fall celebration on their 106-acre farm.
“We work seven days a week in October,” Glenn said.
The farm has countless activities, including bounce houses and slides, kiddie train rides, gem mining, rubber duck racing, hayrides on a handicap-accessible wagon, a petting zoo, a working corn mill and the pumpkin patch. There are places throughout the property set up as fall photo opportunities. Food and souvenirs are available for sale.
“We try to offer educational activities, especially for school kids,” said Glenn. “They see different types of animals and learn how they are used, and for the exotic animals, where they are from.”
The farm brings in local animals, with everything from rabbits to camels.
Visitors also get to see how corn is ground. The demonstration features a machine from 1895 called a sheller that shucks kernels off the corn by a hand crank.
“My daddy used this sheller as a little boy,” Glenn said.
There’s also a working hammer mill, a machine run by a tractor that grinds corn into flour, meal and grits. The machine is from 1946 and Glenn said, “I can still get parts for it.”
Corn meal from the mill is sold on site.
Glenn and Tammy work full-time at their day jobs and also work the farm.
“You do what you’ve got to do,” Tammy said.
It’s a family project for the couple and their two daughters, now ages 17 and 22.
“They grew up here,” Glenn said.
Their oldest daughter is actually getting married on the farm.
“We’re family-oriented. It’s at the heart of everything we do,” Tammy said. “It’s so important that people feel like family when they leave here.”
She said people often come back and comment about just that.
“Last year we had a second-generation family come in. The man had come here when he was in school and always wanted to bring his child back. So, he continued a family tradition,” Tammy said. “We felt like we’d done what we set out to do — offer a low cost, family environment where families can enjoy time with one another.”
Kids from several schools were on hand Tuesday to play and learn.
“It’s been a good day,” said LaKendra Finley, one of the adults supervising kids from Learning Treasure Preschool in Lanett.
In the early days, Jack O Lantern Lane had rented bounce houses and only held tours for local schools like Chambers Academy.
“It started as a hobby,” Tammy said.
She had taken her oldest daughter to a pumpkin patch when she was a baby, but it was two hours away. When the property in LaFayette became available, the family thought it would be a great opportunity to start a pumpkin patch.
“And q5 years later, we’ve turned it into what we have today,” Tammy said. “We could not do this without help. Everyone here is part of the puzzle that makes it all work. They work with us early summer to late fall – from set up to clean up.”
During the rest of the year, the Morgan farm hosts skeet shooting, weddings and corporate events like company picnics. They also host fundraisers for the children’s hospital, local churches and ball teams. For now, it’s a pumpkin patch.
Jack O Lantern Lane is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST on Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. CST on Sundays through Oct. 31. For weekday group reservations, call (334) 869.0554 or (334) 864.0713 or go to jackolanternlane.com.
