Pumpkins are one of my great loves in life. Among my friends, it’s common knowledge that the first of October marks the beginning of a month-long whirlwind as I visit countless farms and pumpkin patches before the 31st. There’s something endlessly endearing to me– endlessly meaningful— about how much joy people allow themselves to find in this humble vegetable just once a year. Adult life can feel relentlessly cynical. There’s nothing cynical about a pumpkin patch. Luckily, Maine has many beautiful farms open for us to visit this fall! And the sprawling fields of Zach’s Farm in York may make it the biggest pumpkin patch in Maine.
Zach's is located near the Highland Farm Preserve just outside the historic village of York.
On this picturesque farm surrounded by trees that turn fiery colors in fall, visitors scour the half-mile field of pumpkins for their perfect jack-o-lantern.
From mid-September through Halloween, Zach's maze is open every Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. In the past, the 17 acres of deviously cut corn have been shorn in various imaginative shapes, ranging from a peace sign to a spider!
What's in a name? No one named "Zach" has ever owned Zach's Farm. Rather, the moniker stems from the owner's surname, Zacharias. Members of the Zacharias family have passed the land down for generations, adding onto it piecemeal, so it now includes over 250 acres of productive land.
The celebratory atmosphere at the farm feels true to Maine: laidback and comfortable. It isn't uncommon to spot a farm dog happily rubbing shoulders with pumpkin patch visitors.
It's worth mentioning that Zach's is also locally renowned for its high-quality produce and beautiful, fresh-cut flowers. Their products' glowing reputation has earned the farm considerable success, and the Zacharias family has endeavored to return this generosity to the community. They are decade-long partners with York County Cooperative Extension's "Harvest for Hunger" program, donating thousands of pounds of fresh produce annually.
Zach’s Farm has everything I love about pumpkin patches. It’s unpretentious, wholesome, and utterly devoted to its critical work of purveying autumnal joy to Mainers. As fall sets in, spare time to visit this family-run business. Are you from out of town? Consider a pumpkin patch pilgrimage across the state! Beautiful and earnest, Zach’s might be the biggest pumpkin patch in Maine. If not in acres, then certainly in its abundance of heart.
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