Judy Kramer
County Reporter
Kyle and Allison Rupe became new owners of The Patch, located at 10757 Hwy 65, Cole Camp, formerly known as Prairies End Pumpkin Patch. They closed on the site October 13, and are planning to have their first event this December when they will offer wagon rides to see “a lot of Christmas lights.”
The Rupe family started their family farm in Green Ridge in 2013 as a small garden, and with very little knowledge of how to grow veggies. They followed their dream and now have seven high tunnels (large cold-frame hoop houses or greenhouses that are usually unheated), one greenhouse, and they plant veggies on 50 of a total of 160 acres. The new Cole Camp part of the business will offer a pumpkin patch with many shapes, sizes, and colors of pumpkins from the 56 different varieties grown on their farm.
“We are open in the spring offering strawberries and flowers,” said Allison Rupe. “We will also offer many different summer vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, green beans, and sweet corn. We deliver our produce in the summer through a subscription service at $25 a box of whatever is in season.”
The Rupe family started the farm when they were in their 20s. Kyle is a full-time fire fighter in Sedalia and originally from Florence, Missouri. Allison is from Greenridge and works full-time on the farm with some help from the couple’s three children, a 12-year-old daughter and 10 and four-year old sons. The children are involved in the whole farming process and are allowed to grow vegetables in their own plot.
“I was a full-time X-ray technician before buying the farm,” said Allison. “When my middle child was born, I wanted to do something that would allow me to be at home more and still make money. We all stay busy, and farming is our hobby. I like to work in the dirt and grow flowers in the greenhouse. It is also good family time. In addition to our produce, we also raise beef cattle and sheep.”
For more information about Rupe Family Farms go to the website at www.rupefamilyfarms.com, or check out www.facebook.com/rupefamilyfarms/post.
