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The vibrant orange of the pumpkin patch pops against the backdrop of tall, green corn stalks, with whimsical pink pig rides flying across the scene — colors that capture the essence of fall and fun.
For eight years, That Ranch has come alive every weekend from mid-September to late October.
It features a nonprofit pumpkin patch, where proceeds go to the National FFA Organization chapter at Kelseyville High, known as the Kelseyville FFA, and a for-profit corn maze paired with family-friendly activities celebrating agricultural traditions and community bonds.
Throughout the week, the ranch also hosts various events, from mocktail parties to art sessions, spooky Halloween nights to relaxed family outings.
The name That Ranch is a play on owner Tanya Hat’s name, combining the “T” from Tanya with her last name.
When asked how many pumpkins were grown each year, Hat laughed.
“I really have never measured the amount. I just keep growing!” she told Lake County News, standing beside her pumpkins on a sunny Tuesday morning in October.
Later, Hat’s husband, Michael Hat said over the phone that he estimated it to be about 30,000 pumpkins last year grown from the 14 acres of land; and it’s a little less than that this year.
Tanya Hat admitted she's not one for numbers — her passion lies in creating and visualizing.
That Ranch grows more than100 varieties of pumpkins, she said. The entrance is decorated with pumpkins in all sizes and colors — yellow, orange, blue and white, evoking the magical atmosphere of a fairytale garden.
On one of the benches, mini pumpkins were placed on a large chess board as the chess pieces and would draw children to play as if it were a real game.
“The design, the detail here blows me away,” said Marilyn Holdenried, a longtime Kelseyville resident who, along with husband Myron, grows winegrapes and pears. She was admiring how Hat curated and rearranged pumpkins and other elements every night.
For Hat, That Ranch is more than just six weeks in the fall. Along with her small team of two full-time staff, Hat starts preparing the fields as early as April — laying drip lines and planning the layout. Planting begins in summer, and within 90 to 120 days, 30,000 pumpkins and towering corn stalks emerge.
“It’s really magic within a short period of time, yeah?” Hat said. “So within literally four months, this appears.”
High schoolers, pumpkins and the corn maze
The pumpkin sales station is managed by students from Kelseyville High School as part of their Supervised Agriculture Education program.
This year, 70 students applied and 32 were selected to work. They take morning and afternoon shifts on weekends, interacting with visitors, managing booths, and overseeing ranch activities.
At the end of every season, Tanya Hat writes a check to Kelseyville FFA, reflecting the pumpkin sales.
“First year we did it, I think it was like $2,000, then $4,000, then $6,000,” Hat said, recalling the growth in sales over the years
In 2022, sales reached $30,000, and in 2023, they hit $40,000 — all of which went to Kelseyville FFA, said Hat.
“Pumpkin sales have sent our students all over California, along with trips to Washington DC and soon the National FFA Convention at the end of the month,” said a message posted on Kelseyville FFA’s Facebook page on Sep. 25.
“It’s huge,” Hat said of the partnership between That Ranch and the school through the school FFA advisor Donelle McCallister. “I couldn’t do what I do without Donnell and her kids.”
For the students, this opportunity gives them real-world experience in interacting with the community and handling business.
“We’re growing up in a few years; we’re going to be out in the world,” said Jose Mejia, a sophomore at Kelseyville High who worked as the pumpkin cashier last Sunday. “But this is like a little, tiny baby step, dipping our toes into those waters.”
Besides all the fun and joy, Hat did not forget to set up a voter registration booth on site embraced by pumpkins with voter registration forms and other information brochures.
“We have to encourage people to get registered to vote, to go vote and believe in the process of voting.”
This year the corn maze was carved out in an election-themed design — an elephant and a donkey representing the two political parties, with “WE THE PEOPLE” at the top and “LAKE COUNTY 2024” the bottom
The message is: “We, the people, vote,” Hat said.
What if you get lost in the maze?
“We’ll find you next Thursday,” Hat said with a grin.
After a drizzly Saturday, the land where pumpkins and corn grow was still a bit muddy. But under clear skies and warm sunshine the next day on Oct. 14, families and friends gathered as children played and explored the curated wonderland.
Pumpkins were picked and loaded into wheelbarrows by visitors while high schoolers stayed busy, working as cashiers or making popcorn and hotdogs.
Sunflowers stood tall, guarding the trails around the corn maze. In the pizza garden, tomatoes and peppers quietly thrived under the care of the students. Sprinklers worked diligently, watering the soil and occasionally giving passersby an unexpected shower. Children dashed into the sea of bubbles blown from the foam daddy machine.
As Hat put it, “It’s just a playground of fun.”
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