This informative article paid for by Dewberry Farm.
By George Slaughter
Mary Emerson, of Dewberry Farm, admits she doesn’t have the agricultural background of her husband, Larry. Yet she as much as anyone enjoys watching visitors discover what farm life is all about.
“When you see how they enjoy being outside, hopefully with no rain, it’s just such a pleasure to see them experience animals and be able to run free and just enjoy it out here,” she said.
Larry Emerson’s background is in entomology—in other words, he’s a bug doctor.
“My husband has an agricultural background,” she said. “He grew up on a farm. I’ve gone along. I’ve been married to him for 47 years.”
The Emersons had a research farm where Larry would conduct his research. But Larry and a friend came up with the idea of turning the farm into a family-friendly place where people could learn about farming life. The idea took off, and Dewberry Farm is now in its 16th year.
Mary Emerson said Larry liked seeing children having fun on the farm more than studying bugs and writing reports.
One of the farm’s biggest features, she said, is an eight-acre corn maze for people to explore. Another attraction is a building, called Pumpkin Holler, that has over 500 carved pumpkins inside it.
“It’s unique,” she said. “It’s something nobody else has.”
The pumpkin patch is another of the farm’s popular attractions as the summer heat gives way to the autumn cool.
“There is more to do than the pumpkins,” she said. “This is a family place. We have lots of things to do.”
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- Pig races are among the attractions at Dewberry Farm (Dewberry Farm photo)
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- Dewberry Farm has a carousel for young visitors to enjoy (Dewberry Farm photo)
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- The Dewville Express is a popular attraction at Dewberry Farm (Dewberry Farm photo)
Some of the main attractions include a goat walk, a train (Dewville Express) to ride on a mile-long track, a carousel, and a giant slide known as Slide Mountain.
The farm also features a small lake (Horse Shoo Lake), pig races, wagon rides, and a windmill park. A vendor comes to the farm and offers pony rides for the kids. The farm also features barn animals for visitors to see.
“The kids get a kick out of those,” she said.
One new attraction this year is the Christmas light display, which opens December 7. Visitors take a night ride on a wagon through the prairie and woods to see Christmas lights set to music.
“It is becoming more and more popular,” she said. “We have 16,000 trees growing out here.”
Visitors can also purchase Christmas trees in the farm’s Christmas tree forest. She said the trend of purchasing real trees is growing.
“We’re hoping to get people to realize it’s good to have a real tree, and not a fake tree,” she said.
Many visitors come from the greater Houston area, and have never been on a farm. There can be a learning curve involved.
For example, she said, some people think of where milk comes from, and their first thought is the grocery store, and not from cows on a farm.
“I think some people don’t realize that there’s a whole agricultural process there,” she said. “There’s grass. There’s trees. There’s wind. It’s not like the city. It’s not paved.”
The farm has a country store featuring clothing, gifts, jewelry, stocking stuffers, and trinkets. The farm also has plenty of options for eating, both for regular lunch fare and for those with a sweet tooth.
Dewberry Farm is on FM 362 at Morrison Road and Brookshire. The farm is open for tours during the week, and for the public on the weekends. For more information, visit the Dewberry Farm web site.