Where to Find the Perfect Pumpkin near Zurich
As soon as it’s September in Switzerland, I race to the pumpkin patches near Zurich. It's never too early to find good pumpkins for Halloween.
This year I visited Bachli Farm (Bachlihof) in Rapperswil-Jona, located near Zurich in the canton of St. Gallen. In previous years, I visited Jucker Farm (Jucker Farm) in Seegräben.
There are many pumpkin varieties to choose from at Bächli Farm and Jucker Farm. I found myself a green pumpkin right away. There are many white pumpkins and gourds to browse through as well.
Both farms host an impressive pumpkin exhibition (Kürbisausstellung) from September to mid-November. They are famous for their pumpkin sculptures, which have a different theme each year. This year, the theme was "Romans."
In the first week of October, Bächli Farm hosts a pumpkin weighing contest (Kürbiswiegen) to determine the largest pumpkins in Switzerland. In 2014, a Swiss farmer broke the world record for the largest pumpkin in the world!
Later in October, Bächli Farm holds a pumpkin carving contest (Kürbisschnitzfestival). After the contest, many of the winning pumpkins are proudly displayed on the farm. Others are taken home or featured at Halloween parties, such as this Jabba the Hutt pumpkin.
This weekend, I came to Bächli Farm to find the perfect Halloween pumpkin.
For table decoration, I found this little orange pumpkin with white speckles.
This pumpkin caught my eye, because there was a carving kit included. Now I can make a jack-o-lantern to put on my doorstep for Halloween.
There are many different carving kits to choose from. You can carve your pumpkin at one of the many carving stations at Bächli Farm. This way, you can leave the mess behind.
While carving pumpkins, it's easy to work up an appetite. One of my favorite things to snack on are different flavored pumpkin seeds. Pictured here are the chili and cinnamon flavors.
I can't pass up a visit to Bächli Farm's shop & restaurant (Hofladenrestaurant), which can be enjoyed year-round. For lunch I always get the macaroni with meat sauce (Swiss G'hacktes mit Hörnli). And for dessert, I enjoy pumpkin granola bars drizzled in Swiss chocolate.
There are so many things to enjoy at the farm shop & restaurant — pumpkin soup, pumpkin risotto, pumpkin jam, pumpkin beer, and pumpkin champagne (when it's in stock).
You can find many of these fun products in the shop at Jucker Farm or online at farmy.ch. There are also some lovely pumpkin recipes on Jucker Farm's website, which you can easily translate from German to English.
While pumpkin season is coming to a close, I already can't wait to attend the pumpkin exhibition next year.
Thankfully, Christmas is just around the corner. You can host Christmas Dinner and other events at Bächli Farm, Jucker Farm or Spargel Farm.
The Seegräbner Christmas Market is also a treat, and it extends to Jucker Farm on the weekend of November 19th & 20th in Seegräben. Jucker Farm will take reservations for Winter Fondue on Saturday evening, November 19th.
Ready to visit?
Bächli Farm is open 365 days a year and is free of charge. From April - October, the opening hours are from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. From November - March, the opening hours are 9:00am to 6:00pm.
It takes just under an hour to get to Bächli Farm from Zurich city by train. From Zurich HB, you can take the train to Jona. From the Jona train station, take bus 991 or 992 to "Jona, Grünfeld." From here, Bächli Farm is a 5 minute walk away.
If coming by car, you can pay a fee to park at the Grunfeld sports facilities. However, it's possible to park for free at Bächli Farm for 15 minutes if you're just coming for a quick shop.