Growing college funds from a pumpkin patch

Growing college funds from a pumpkin patch
Posted on 09/29/2022
teenage boy sitting in pumpkin patch

Paying for college doesn’t come cheap. But where there’s a will (or a Tyler) there’s a way. And this time it involves lots of pumpkins.

Tyler VandenBos’ family launched Bos Hill Blooms farm in Shawnee in 2022, which soon joined the Lenexa Farmers Market vendor lineup. High school junior Tyler, age 17, had grown pumpkins in a small garden plot during previous years. But now he’s getting serious about saving money to pay for college.

Bos Hill Blooms provided an opportunity to increase the size of his pumpkin patch and have a crop of his own to take to market. And that’s how the idea for “college pumpkins” was born.

Starting this crop has been one of Tyler’s major projects on the farm. His parents helped him clear the field and set up irrigation. The rest is all Tyler. He planted and fertilized the pumpkins. He has managed the weeds in the patch. To protect his pumpkins from deer, Tyler even researched and built a solar-powered electric fence.

You may have seen Tyler around the Market during previous seasons. He has worked at fellow vendor Sunflower Orchards for the past four summers. Through his relationship with orchard farmer Lance Hall, Tyler has learned a lot about how to grow a successful crop and sell it at the Market. In addition to cultivating pumpkins, Tyler loves baseball and hopes to play college baseball as a catcher.

Tyler’s college pumpkins are ready for you! Look for them at Bos Hill Blooms’ booth at the Lenexa Farmers Market every Saturday through Oct. 29.


Published Sept. 29, 2022