Thursday, August 29, 2013

What does $8.00 get you?

So what does $8.00 get you???  It gets you 3 to 7 hours of fun at the Scarecrow Forest.  There is so much to do at the Forest and a lot of fun to be had.

What kind of fun can you have:
  • slide into a giant corn box or bury someone in the corn.
  • for the little ones there is a 5 and under kiddie corral and a mini bale pile that has a slide.
  • Take a 15 to 20 minute walk in the Forest and see all the Scarecrows.
  • Race each other on our side by side slides. 
  • Run up and down our hill.
  • We have two HUGE bale piles that children love to play on.  One bale pile has 3 slides on it.
  • Throughout the Forest there are sandboxes for the children to dig in.
  • Take a look at our 10 goats, 4 guinea fowl, 4 sheep, 3 horses, 2 sheep, and a ton of chickens and a few chicks.  Also wandering our yard is Mr. Chick and some cats.  In the gift shop you will find some adorable kittens.
  • Milk Besty the cow [simulated milking cow]
  • Play on some tire structures.






There is so much to do at the Forest so make sure you come earlier in the day so you can fit all the fun in.

Hope to see at the Scarecrow Forest.

Lorissa Penner

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Ticketed attractions 2013

At the Forest admission is $8.00 per person to get in and on top of that you can buy tickets.  Tickets can be use on:

                                                 Pumpkins painting [One and Two Tickets]

 Let your inner artist come out.  Create a master piece on a pumpkin.  It's best to paint a pumpkin first, so that it has time to dry before you go home.  Some children love dumping on the paint.





                                                              Pony Ride  [Two Tickets]

Come take a ride on Jenny or Spud down a beautiful trail in our Forest.

Paintball Target [Two Tickets]

Take you best shot at a car and some hanging pots.  Who is the better shot??

Zipline [One Ticket]

It's 20 feet tall and 200 feet long.  Everyone wears a helmet and gets harnessed up.  We've had an 18 month all the way up to an 80 go on it.  Come take a thrilling ride in the Forest.




Duck Races [One Ticket]

On your mark.....Get set......Ready.....  GO!!!!  After you are done racing your ducks you can take them home.

Tractor Train Ride [One Ticket]

Come take a ride on our train, which is perfect for 1 years of age up to 101 years of age.  New this year is our Farm Safari Train Path.  You never know what you may see on the path....

Corn Cannon [One Ticket]

You get three tennis balls to shoot at a barn.  There is a bull in one window, a cat in another, and many other animals.  What can you hit??

Stuff Your Own Scarecrow [7 tickets]

Full some overalls with straw.  Paint a face on a pumpkin and put a hat on top and you have yourselves a scarecrow.


Lorissa Penner

Monday, July 15, 2013

Happy 1st Birthday Butternut

One year ago my parents took a trip to the States and I was in charge of the animals.  I knew Jenny was pregnant and due around November/December.  I went to the back and gave the horses some hay.  I saw a brown thing in the pen and didn't quite process what it was and kept feeding the animals.  I finally went back and looked really closely and saw a foal.  I was quite surprised, but could tell the foal was really healthy.  I phoned my parents, even though there were in the States, and gave them the news.  We had a contest to  name the foal and she was given the name Butternut.

Butternut.  Born July 15, 2012

  
Jenny and Spud.  Mom and Dad.


















Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The 5 W's of Jelly and Jam.

I like making jelly, jams, and relishes and I'm constantly experimenting with new flavors.  I sell my jellies, jams, and relishes on the home yard and at the Pineridge Farmers' Market. Jelly is a clear, like jello consistency, sweet spread.  Jam has fruit in it and is thick.

 A common question I get is what can you do with jelly.  There are a lot of different ways to use jelly:
  • Spread it on toast, buns, bagels, etc.
  • Warm it up and pour it on cream cheese and than spread on crackers or bagels.
  • Warm it up til it becomes runny and use it as  a syrup on pancakes.
  • Use it as a glaze on meats. (Pineapple Mint Jelly on ham or Mint Jelly on lamb).
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
  • Make a fresh fruit pizza (spread jelly on crust and than spread some cream cheese and layer on fruit).
The jellies, jams, and relishes I make are:

Orange Mint Jelly: Tastes like Orange Soda.
Pineapple Mint Jelly: A taste of the Tropics.
Apple Cinnamon Jelly: Delicious.  Tastes like the red heart candies you get at Valentine's Day.
Apple Mint Jelly: Taste of apples in a spread.
Jalapeno Jelly: Hot, but not to hot.  Perfect for that next party.  Warm it up and pour it on some cream cheese.  Serve it with a variety of crackers.
Hot Cherry Bomb Jelly.  Is a really hot pepper jelly
A Mint of Everything Jelly: Apple, Pineapple, and Orange melded together.
Mint Jelly: A classic jelly.









Orange Rhubarb Jam: A milder version of Orange Marmalade.
Rhubarb Jam: A nice jam for your toast.

Sweet Zucchini Relish: My most popular relish.  When people try it, they usually buy it.
Sweet Cucumber Relish: All I can say is 100% better than the store version.



I hope to make the follow this summer:
-Chocolate Mint Jelly
-Strawberry Jam
-Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
-Grape Jelly

Stop by the Penner Pumpkin Veggie and Gift Shop or at the Pineridge Farmers' Market to pick some up.

Lorissa Penner

Monday, July 8, 2013

Penner Pumpkins Veggie and Gift Shop now open

Veggie and Gift Shop now open
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 6 pm
Fridays 10 am to 9 pm
Saturdays at Pineridge Hollow's Farmers' Market from 9 am to 1 pm.

For sale:
-Lettuce
-Tomatoes
-Cucumbers
-Beets
-Make your own flower bouquet
-Herbs
-Zucchini
-Sweet Spanish onions

-and other vegetables as they the season progresses
-Jams, jellies, and relishes
-Playdough
-Handmade cards
-knick knacks


I would highly recommend you try the Orange Mint Jelly (tastes a bit like Orange Cream Soda), the Pineapple Mint Jelly, and the Apple Cinnamon Jelly (tastes like the red heart candies at Valentines).  The Orange Rhubarb Jam tastes amazing and has a slightly less orangy taste than Orange Marmalade.  People who try the Sweet Zucchini usually end up buying a jar or two.


In the Gift Shop we have a table filled with cow and corn knick knacks.  Also we have a surprise box.  You'll have to visit us to find out what the surprise is.





For large vegetable orders please phone Shirley at 204-371-5556

Directions: We are located near Steinbach. On Highway 311 EAST, towards Giroux, 2 3/4 mile and we are on the North side.




Lorissa Penner

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

June Review

I try to post every Wednesday and Saturday on this blog and that has not happened.  It has been quite the June.  First I blew the tire on my mom's van, than the engine on my car went, and than we thought the engine on the 1967 truck went, but thankfully it was just the water pump.

Next to go (bite the dust) was my cellphone and than my laptop. The last two things to go in June were the tent we use at the Farmers' Market and the battery pack.

Hopefully July will be a better month and nothing else breaks.  Also hopefully I will soon have a new laptop and than I can keep on writing posts every Wednesday and Saturday.

As they say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  Or in my world when life gives a ton of mint, make mint jelly.

Animals are a good stress relief.


Lorissa

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Communal Cats




My dad once exclaimed "What kind of farm do you have? Is this the funny farm"? The name has stuck. Our cats fit really well in the Funny Farm. We use to have a cat that would steal other cats kittens. We would look down our driveway and there she would be a kitten swinging from her mouth. This cat also once nursed a bunny and she thought it was one of her kittens.

We also had two cats share kittens. These cats were best friends so they would lie together with each of their four kittens. It was a really strange sight.

Recently two of our cats each had a litter of kittens. One of the cats kittens died so she decided she was going to kittennap from the other mom. She would sneak in to where the kittens were playing, lie down, and start purring. The kittens would run up to her and she would lick them all and start walking away. She would call the kittens to follow her. I kept taking the kittens away from her so she finally decided she would just join the other mom. So the kittens have two moms raising them.


The two moms: Princess (white one), FleckHead, and the three kittens.


Lorissa