THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE PUMPKINLAND

What does a former Harper’s Magazine model from the Bronx have in common with a Morton Salt traveling salesperson from California? The answer is the courage, heart and brains to run a business for 47 years with four children in tow. If that brings to mind a lion, a tin man and a scarecrow on a yellow brick road, you would be on the right track.

Magical Movie Inspires a Dream Come True

The release of the movie The Wizard of Oz in 1939 left a lasting impression on a young Wayne Brown and three decades later he opened a Wizard of Oz-themed pumpkin patch, Pumpkinland (now known as Pumpkinland Chocolate Co.) outside of Red Bluff. His trusty companions on that yellow-bricked journey were his New York-born wife, Jean, and their four children, Wayne Jr., Mark, Colleen and Sean.

Wayne had fallen in love with the Red Bluff area while living in Sacramento with his young family. Country living was the dream and in the early 1970s Wayne moved the family to five acres along Highway 99E. Jean took a job as the Antelope School District superintendent secretary while Wayne continued selling salt.

Working the Family Business Leads to Confident and Independent Kids

One day, the four Brown kids made the mistake of heckling their parents for money. Wayne and Jean suggested the kids plant a garden and sell their produce along 99. “As the youngest,” Sean says, “my job was to entertain customers with suggestions for recipes I never prepared, much less ate myself, but that required our fresh vegetables. Dad was gone from Monday to Friday and he had a lot of faith in us.

“We began to improve the property in his absence. For instance, my father left a copy of an instructional book on electrical wiring with my eldest brother, Wayne Jr., with the expectation that any tasks would be completed by the time he returned home from the road on Friday. We all grew in independence and confidence, especially Wayne Jr., when given our own responsibilities.”

Going Fulltime with Creativity

The idea of making a living on the land grew for Wayne, and soon, “there was no place like home,” and Wayne became a full-time “Farmer Brown.” He asked Wayne Jr. and Colleen to design and build life-size Wizard of Oz figures and a Munchkin village.

Jean sewed a gigantic canvas big top which was ultimately attached to the house roof to create a backyard theater. And when Colleen wasn’t airbrushing pumpkins, she starred as Glinda the Good Witch for the stage plays that Wayne had envisioned as part of the tour for visiting school children.

“We were the first pumpkin patch in the area,” Sean says. “My parents’ goal was to provide for our family while never losing sight of the financial struggles and happiness of others. Our objective was to do our individual part to ensure that Pumpkinland would always remain a family-friendly and inexpensive destination. My parents stressed the importance of practicing the ‘golden rule’ and focusing on the ‘fast nickel and not the slow dime.’” If the pumpkins failed, they would quickly transform the property into a Christmas tree farm. “Dad dressed as Santa Claus for Polaroids with the children and Colleen’s classmates served as elves,” Sean says.

Passing on a Precious Family Legacy

“As a kid, I was convinced that I was uniquely plagued by parents that had unrealistic expectations of me. I couldn’t understand why our family never went on vacation as other families did,” Sean says. “In retrospect, it was the best childhood we ever could have experienced. We were able to work alongside our parents and hard work paid off for all of us. Wayne became a successful cabinet maker, Colleen earned her doctorate and is an accomplished artist, Mark teaches Science and Math and I conducted medical research in academia and private industry.”

By 2007, their parents were suffering from myriad health issues, so Sean returned to be their caregiver. In the process, “I grew even closer to my parents. I came to understand the unconditional love and sacrifices that parents have and make for their children. After their passing, it felt natural to stay on and run the business to continue their legacy.”

Like his dad, Sean sources chocolate for candy from Guittard and crafts a wide assortment of candies, including truffles, turtles, nut clusters, toffees, caramels, brittles and chocolate lollipops. “We are still a family venture,” Sean says. “Wayne Jr. continues to be the mastermind behind the candy-making machinery and any other fixes that need to be done. A nephew created our new website (to debut soon) and another nephew sells his Dilla Tackle here.”

“As always,” says Sean, “my job is to lure people off the highway and into the store. Quality ice cream at a low price seems to do the trick. My hope is to keep candy on the shelves and honor the memory of my parents. They remain the most important people in my life. Their life goals were never about wealth but rather building relationships and enjoying daily life.”

Pumpkinland is open every day, 12-5 on weekdays and 11am-5pm on weekends, 12000 CA-99 – just look for Wayne’s big ice cream cut-out. Follow them on Facebook to find out about their latest offerings and new goodies.

Visitors to Pumpkinland can relax and refresh on the lush green lawn by a shady waterfall.

Colleen Brown charmed young visitors to Pumpkinland as Glinda the Good Witch.

Pumpkinland is a Brown family legacy, delighting generations of children.

The perfect summer day for Isabel and Olivia Camacho is to swim in the creek at Cone Grove Park and then take the short drive to Pumpkinland for ice cream.

Founders of Pumpkinland, husband and wife, Wayne and Jean Brown.

Look for the iconic Pumpkinland signs along Hwy 99 East between Eldrid and Electric Avenues in Red Bluff.

Wayne Brown, Sr. went to school to learn the art of chocolate making before passing down his knowledge to the current chocolatier, his son Sean. Many other wonderful, local goods, including seasonal, locally grown fresh cut flowers, are available for purchase at Pumpkinland.