Hello and welcome to the pumpkin patch. Mum, this is a heartwarming and down to Earth podcast where we dive into the vibrant, busy and sometimes messy life of me and mum who also happens to be a passionate pumpkin farmer. So today on the pumpkin Patch Mum podcast, I'm joined with Ben. Who has joined the team? Uh for about a month now, and he is one of our tractor drivers. So Ben, have you ever done anything like this before?

I have not. This is my first time driving tractors working on a farm, doing any of this sort. Work.

And what do you think of it so far? Something you enjoy something? You want to do more of.

I'm loving it and I would love. To do more of this. This is by far the best job that I've worked.

What's the have you got any? You know what's your top thing you've done so far? Working.

For us, honestly, the the telehandler is just really fun to drive. It's it's the best one out of them all.

And So what do you think of harvest? Did you know you probably never even thought about pumpkin others before here, but did you imagine this is how we would pick all of our pumpkins up?

No, I thought I thought that was a such thing as like, a pumpkin harvester. You know, I thought I'd be a big old machine or something, but no, it's been good fun.

And how have the boys been working today? Are they enjoying what they're picking up today? What we on?

Yeah, we're we're on the harvest moons at the moment and we're averaging about 100 to a box. So I feel like that's pretty good. Everyone seems to be having a nice day out in the sun. Obviously working hard, got a lot of respect for them.

Cause it is hard work. Brilliant. Thank you. It's an exciting day for the Pumpkin Patch Mom podcast as we have got our first lorry load of pumpkins being delivered, so we work with a couple of local Hollies based in Colchester and they come and collect the pumpkins from us here in Eightish green at our farm and then they deliver them all around the. Country. So the lorry today is going to a studio in London, so that's really exciting, but we sell pumpkins anywhere from down to Devon this year to up to Scotland, Northern Ireland, you name it. We've probably been there and we're doing a thing from event companies. Are the pumpkin patches studios? We do. Yeah, lots and lots of really fun, fun places. And it's always exciting when you see the first lot of harvested pumpkins. Be delivered. So we're waiving the by my father-in-law is kindly loading the lorry for me and yeah, off they go to their new home. I'm joined with Eddie, who has been one of the movie drivers that we were working with at Fox's fun produce for a number of years. And Eddie has kindly driven our pumpkins. All over the place. So Eddie, bizarre as it is, we're busy, obviously in October and then don't see you for a whole year. Where's the the strangest place or the furthest place from? Essex that you've. Delivered.

The strangest place it was that that where I had to go, the directions to the place was up through the garden centre and. I'm sure I can't remember. It's Kevin. All called down Plymouth Way, but it was Plymouth. Yeah, and that was the.

Play method.

That was a little bit of a tricky 1 to find and and I drove all the way up to the little farm where he wanted it and I had reversed all the way down the lane, turned around in the car park there the. Garden Centre and then reverse all the way back. You know. And because it was a total delivery to try and get the money for the tail lift to go into the bath because it was about two feet higher than the the lane itself. So I couldn't reverse in without ripping the mud guards off and that was probably strange. Suppose.

So that was tricky. Tricky delivery, to say the least, but most of them are good.

Sorry.

Deliveries on things.

Yeah, yeah, they're nice and easy. There you go. Fields like this one here. Look, there's acres of field here to 40 acres to turn my rig around. You know what I mean?

And we try and look after you with tea and chocolate and what have you.

It's all I do for a dollar. Bake the chocolate. Oh.

Ohh perfect. And do you like pumpkin?

Personally, no, no, no. Or tried it. Once. I went to a Halloween party at downhill down near outfield Heath and that was a that was a nice evening. But when this suit came here, I thought I'll give anything a well once, but no.

Oh yeah.

It was policy and it was, I think I put too much better illness with it.

Maybe we'll give you a pumpkin and you can. Make a cake or something else.

Do you do pumpkin cakes here?

Yeah.

Pumpkins and they just roast.

Them. Oh yeah. Nice.

Of Korea, they've been covering up. It's so so. So I should say that I don't like them, but.

Yeah. Awesome. You need to try to get one that's.

Never toward strokes leagues. I don't really ever intend, you know, like I'll eat anything most of the time, but not certain.

Oh.

Hey.

Hi.

Wait, what kind of helping you not out? Yeah, it's. Yeah.

It's another day in the life. Of the pumpkin patch. And today I'm being a very nice wife in that due to the wind last night, we didn't sleep very well just because the wind always makes us not sleep as well. So I am being kind and delivering my darling husband a coffee in the field. So he is currently on the. And telly handler. And he is unloading a pallet trailer. So he's unloading the pallets from the trailer so that when the pickers arrived here there is some work for them to get on with. So I'll just, guy, how's it going?

Yeah, really windy today.

Small hurricane. It is really, really windy. I've just been saying that that the weather kept us off last night. So I've brought your coffee to the field like a good white.

First class delivery. Thanks.

So do you love harvest? What's your favourite part about harvest?

Absolutely love it. My favourite time of year.

And what's your favourite part about harvest?

Not being involved.

He's joking, by the way.