DOBSON — Dock’s Pumpkin Patch will hold a grand opening this weekend with hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4. The pumpkin patch is on a family farm just recently brought back to life by three siblings facing unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Cindy Marion explained that when COVID-19 first started rearing its head in late February, her three adult children, Will, Peyton, and Jack, were spread across the country, making careers for themselves as artists and entertainers. Will Marion, the oldest, was a musician and songwriter, playing six nights a week in Austin, Texas. Peyton Marion, the middle daughter, lived in New York City, and worked as a teaching artist after recently finishing a fellowship at Lincoln Center. And the youngest, Jack Marion, had just moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was making a name for himself as a music industry professional and the front man of the band Jack Marion and the Pearl Snap Prophets.
Then, in an instant, the $800 billion dollar U.S. Arts and Culture industry came to a screeching halt. Faced with mounting uncertainty, the three siblings returned to their home in Dobson. Shortly after their arrival, mom Cindy Marion, presented her offspring with a list of things she’d like to have done around the family homestead.
“It was really just a few things,” Marion recalled with a laugh. “Clean out the shed, spread some mulch, cut some limbs, but I think they really started to enjoy the work. And they started adding things to the list that needed to be done.”
With mom’s help and their new found free time, Will, Peyton, and Jack began the process of reviving their family farm. Dating back to 1890, the farm was home to the siblings’ great-great-grandfather, Will and wife Lola Jones Southern whose son Dock was born on the farm in 1904. Dock and his wife Mecie Miller Southern reared five children on the farm, including the siblings’ grandfather, R.B. The Southern family farmed the land for tobacco and raised cattle for more than 100 years. They also owned and operated a small country store on the property.
“This land has been an anchor for our family for generations. When things got really rough, it’s where we all ended up. I don’t think that was an accident,” said Will.
Since March, the family has turned their to-do list into a full on farm revitalization effort.
“There were a lot of things we had to figure out just by doing them, like moving the pasture fence and riveting sheet metal on the tractor shed. There have been a lot of times where we learned things from doing them wrong and having to re-do them. We’ve learned so much in the process,” said Peyton.
With the changing season comes the culmination of their work. The family is opening Dock Southern Farms to the public every weekend in October for the inaugural Dock’s Pumpkin Patch. On Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m.-6 p.m., families can hunt for the perfect pumpkin, hear spooky stories on Saturdays at 3 p.m., have their picture taken by professional photographers, play carnival style games, enjoy live music on Sundays at 2 p.m., and shop for seasonal goodies from the farm store and visiting local vendors.
“These last few months have been hard, but it has really brought all of us closer to our roots and closer to each other,” said Jack. “This community has been good to our family, so we’re really excited to welcome them to the farm and to put a smile on their faces during these difficult days.”
Dock Southern Farms is located at 107 Dock Southern Lane, Dobson. Dock Southern Farms will be adhering to the N.C. COVID-19 guidelines for outdoor events. For more information find Dock Southern Farms on Facebook and Instagram or at docksouthernfarms.com.
Kitsey Burns Harrison may be reached at 336-258-4035 or on Twitter and Instagram @RippleReporterK.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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