Where can you have breakfast with the Easter Bunny, watch a trebuchet launch a pumpkin hundreds of feet in the air, pet barnyard animals, ride down a zipline, get lost in a corn maze AND enjoy freshly made ice cream? Vesperman Farms, of course!
Located in Lancaster, Vesperman Farms specializes in fun for ages 5 to 85. Though the farm has been a place for family fun for more than two decades, it wasn’t always an agritourist destination.
The History
The farm, now known as a community gathering space, was purchased in 1900 by Louis Vesperman and has been passed down five generations to its current owner, Kyle Vesperman. The farm was used for traditional crop farming until the mid-1980s when Kyle’s parents, Bruce and Judy, began to diversify by raising pumpkins and vegetables to sell at their local farmer’s market. Not only was this a way to bring in additional income, but it was something the whole family could take part in.
As Kyle grew older, he followed in his parents’ footsteps and took a special interest in growing and selling pumpkins. One day, his grandma, who lived on Main Street in Lancaster, had the idea to sell the pumpkins in her front yard. As his grandma’s front yard became an impromptu pumpkin patch and business began to take off, Kyle saw firsthand the potential success agritourism could have.
Kyle then went on to UW-Platteville where he started to see agritourism experiences of all kinds find success. Thinking back to his first business venture, Kyle began to wonder, “Instead of picking the pumpkins and bringing them into town, why don’t I bring the people out to the farm?”
Thus began the adventure of turning a century-old, traditional farm into an agritourist destination.
The Community
From the very beginning, Kyle’s focus was framed around the families in his local community.
“When we’re brainstorming ideas for the farm, our main focus is families with young kids. We want this to be a place where people can bring their families and make memories,” Kyle said. “Now, we’ve been at this long enough that there’s a whole generation of kids who grew up around here and this is a part of their memories.”
Though much of the experience is catered to children with games and activities such as life-size Connect 4, playing in the corn bin or taking a ride on the kiddie train, Vesperman Farms has become a place for community members of all ages to gather.
“We’ve had people go on their first dates here, people who get engaged here. After a few years of doing enough weddings, I’ll run into couples on busy days who got married here and now have one, two, three kids. This place is special to them because mom and dad got married here,” Kyle said.
During peak fall season at Vesperman Farms, you can find couples on pumpkin patch dates, friends perusing local goodies at the shop and families enjoying their annual visit to the farm, making it truly a community space for all.
“We mean a lot to a lot of people now. I was just a kid when I started all of this, trying to keep the family farm and land going. I wasn’t even thinking about all that stuff, but I discovered along the way that there are so many people who have a connection or story or memories of this place. It’s very special,” said Kyle.
Kyle also values giving back to his community with fundraising opportunities. A few years back, Kyle approached the Lancaster School District with the idea since Vesperman Farms kettle corn and apple cider donuts are so wildly popular. The idea ended up working out for both.
“It started with one school and now it’s 20 to 30 different schools, organizations, clubs, PTOs, daycares. You name it,” Kyle said. “In the last five to six years, we’ve helped raise well over a quarter of a million dollars with these fundraisers.”
Vesperman Farms’ success has been driven by hard work and dedication to the community. Kyle credits much of
this achievement to his three full-time staff members and seasonal employees.
The Future
Always looking to provide fun experiences for all, Vesperman Farms is adding some new ones this summer. After seeing much success with their ice cream trucks, Vesperman Farms turned a portion of their event barn into an ice cream shoppe starting in June.
“We will be open on the weekends, from the afternoons to the evenings. We’ll be adding sundaes and baked goods, made from scratch cookies and pies so visitors can enjoy cookie sundaes and warm pies with a scoop of ice cream,” Kyle said.
Vesperman Farms will also be hosting a Sweet Corn Festival in July which will feature food and drinks, music and farm activities as well as a Flower Festival in August which will showcase vibrant blooms, date night packages and provide an opportunity to create even more joyful memories.
Reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future, the impact the farm has had on many is a major motivator for Kyle to continue making Vesperman Farms a space for everyone in the community.
“This farm now means a whole lot more to people than just me and my family.”
To learn more about the farm visit vespermanfarms.com or find them on social media.
Story by Kylie Ver Kuilen and originally appeared in the June | July 2024 Rural Route.
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