Kishwaukee College alumni run local pumpkin farm

Posted 10/26/18

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Kishwaukee College alumni run local pumpkin farm

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Jason Watson, a 1994 Kishwaukee Collegewaukee College alumnus, always told his wife, Joni, a 2005 Kishwaukee Collegewaukee College alumnus, that he wanted to have a farm when he retired.
Little did he know Joni had a passion for pumpkins and an entrepreneurial spirit. In 2015, The Enchanted Valley Farm was born. This pumpkin farm is located on Glidden Road in Kingston. It is open the last weekend of September through the first weekend of November and admission is free.
The Watsons grow 35 different varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds on their farm, offering unique varieties like the Jarrahdale blue pumpkin.
“We had our first successful year growing Indian corn and we also offer corn stalks and straw bales,” said Joni. She explained, “The hardest thing about production is each year we learn something new but can’t implement it until the next season.”

The lifelong learners have talked about how much they’d love to take more classes at Kishwaukee College to further their horticultural and agricultural education, so they can avoid learning lessons, “the hard way,” as Joni put it.
Joni earned her associate of applied science degree in horticulture with an emphasis in floral design at Kishwaukee College. While she was still a student, she was a requested wedding floral designer, and began working following graduation; she still creates wedding and event flowers in addition to running The Enchanted Valley Farm with her husband.
Jason studied law enforcement at Kishwaukee College and later transferred to Western Illinois University. He has served as a police officer with the City of DeKalb for 20 years. The couple discussed the value of the connections made at Kishwaukee College. Jason noted that he felt comfortable seeing many familiar faces from his high school, Genoa-Kingston, while a student and explained the seamless process of transferring to a four-year university.
When Joni reflected on her time at Kishwaukee College, she remembers the connections she’s made. “I can still call on people I met along the way and just this year, I reached out to Rich Alde [assistant professor of horticulture], who supplied our mums at our pumpkin farm,” said Joni. She continued, “we were thrilled to add mums grown from Kishwaukee College to our offerings.”
The Enchanted Valley Farm is a “fun place for families to spend time together at an affordable price,” according to Joni, and just one example of Kishwaukee College alumni pursuing their passions. “It’s amazing how much my [Kishwaukee College floral] design education has helped me in all areas of business.”
For more information on the Horticulture program at Kishwaukee College, visit www.Kishwaukee College/edu/horticulture.
For more information about The Enchanted Valley Farm, visit www.theenchantedvalleyfarm.com.