Wild Patch Pumpkins keeps community connected through local roots

Fall is in full swing in the Central Valley, and at Wild Patch Pumpkins on Villa and Bullard in Clovis, the focus is on more than pumpkins. For co-owners Chase Collins and Nolan Doss, the small family-run patch represents what keeps communities like Clovis thriving — local connection and tradition.

“This is our sixth year,” Collins said. “We grow everything in Madera and then harvest out here as we need it.”

Unlike larger commercial patches filled with rides and vendors, Collins calls Wild Patch Pumpkins an “old-fashioned pumpkin patch.”

“It’s real simple here,” he said. “We got food on the weekends — everything’s locally grown.”

That simplicity and focus on local roots have helped the business grow through loyalty and word of mouth.

“We’ve actually had people who have been here every year,” Collins said. “One of our first customers comes in every year to get her decorative pumpkins. We’ve watched their kids grow up — it’s turned into a family tradition.”

Collins said the farm also gives back when it can. “We work with schools and we try to help out the community as much as we can,” he said. “They come back and put the word out, so it’s kind of working hand in hand.”

For Doss, owning a small business means staying independent from large distributors.
“We figured pumpkins were something we could sell ourselves and not have to rely on a big chain or wholesalers,” Doss said. “It gave us an opportunity not to depend on somebody else to get rid of our crop.”

He said people notice the difference when they shop local. “People enjoy buying pumpkins from the people that actually grew them,” Doss said. “We also hire local kids to help out — cleaning pumpkins, setting up. It really puts us into the community.”

According to The Business Journal of Fresno, small businesses make up about 52.7 percent of jobs and 51.7% of the total payroll in Fresno. Nationwide, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that small businesses account for 99.9 % of all U.S. businesses. Pew Research Center also says small businesses and employs 45.9 % of the workforce. It truly shows how small operations like Wild Patch Pumpkins and their customers help form the backbone of both local and national economies.

One of those customers is Holly Samon, who visited for the first time this fall.

She said the smaller, family-run environment feels special. “It feels a lot more down to earth,” she said. “It really just kind of became a tradition for us. We really like the people that run the stand. They’re part of the community.”

For Samon, Wild Patch Pumpkins represents more than just a pumpkin patch. “It’s like a sense of nostalgia we can’t really get anymore,” she said. “If we didn’t run traditions like this, I feel like we wouldn’t really have a grasp on holidays.”

As big corporations expand and family businesses fade, Collins and Doss say they’re proud to keep Wild Patch Pumpkins local — one pumpkin at a time.

To learn more about Wild Patch Pumpkins, feel free to visit their Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also stop by the patch at 225 W. Bullard Ave., Clovis, CA 93612. They’re open Monday–Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

To see what other local businesses make up Fresno County, visit the Visit Fresno County website. The site highlights locally owned shops, seasonal events, and community-run markets across the Central Valley — all celebrating the small businesses that keep Fresno’s neighborhoods thriving year-round.