Find a great treasure in a corn maze and pumpkin patch

Fall is Bob Ricci’s favorite time of year.

His farm, best known as Bob’s Corn, is located near the Snohomish River in a picturesque little valley between highways 9 and 522.

“It’s beautiful here,” he said. “And we have a lot of fun with our loyal customers. If you don’t like people, better find another business.”

Ricci’s been selling sweet corn for two months already, having staggered the planting of each field in order to have fresh corn through Halloween.

The Ricci family also offers a corn maze, a hay slide inside their barn and 60 varieties of pumpkins and other squash grown on 40 acres.

They run a country store where they sell honey from their own hives, Amish-made jams and pickles, and fresh apple cider from Cedardale Orchards in Conway. In addition, you can buy fresh apple cider doughnuts and pumpkin doughnuts, roasted corn, roasted sweet acorn squash and savory spaghetti squash, roasted apples with ice cream, kettle corn, curly fries, pulled pork sandwiches and corn dogs.

Whew. No wonder Ricci calls it a destination farm. It would take awhile to eat all that food, find your way through the corn maze and pick out pumpkins to take home.

It’s been a good growing year, Ricci said. Steady summer heat and good occasional rains have provided nice crops.

Most of Snohomish County’s pumpkin farms and corn mazes are on former dairy farms, including Ricci’s. “This year, we reopened the cattle tunnel under the road so now there is a safe trail to get down to the corn maze,” he said.

“My daughters are fifth generation on this farm, which has been in our family for 128 years.”

All of the Ricci daughters work on the farm: Kylie, a college student; Abigail, a Glacier Peak High freshman; Ellie, 13; Lucy Jo, 9; and Jorja, 7.

“They’re all daddy’s girls. They all claim to be Bob Jr. and they argue about who is most like Dad,” Ricci said. “But we really would not be able to run this farm without their mother, Sarah. I would be lost without her. I’m glad fall is her favorite season, too.”

The following are some of the corn and pumpkin farms in Snohomish County and beyond. Most are open through October. Before you go, it’s a good idea to check the farm’s website or Facebook page to ensure they’re open and what they have going on.

Bob’s Corn and Pumpkin Farm: 10917 Elliott Road, Snohomish; 360-668-2506; www.bobscorn.com. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Bailey Vegetables: 12711 Springhetti Road, Snohomish; 360-568-8826; www.baileyveg.com. Play barn, wagon rides, kettle corn, hot cider, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends in October.

Biringer’s Black Crow Pumpkins and Corn Maze: 2431 Highway 530 NE, Arlington; 360-435-5616, www.facebook.com/biringers.black.crow. Noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 31. Maze, kiddie slide, skeleton graveyard.

Carleton Farms: 630 Sunnyside Blvd. SE, Lake Stevens; 425-334-2297; www.carletonfarm.com. Farm and corn maze open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Haunted attractions 7 to 10 p.m. Kids activities such as pumpkin cannon, bucket train and zip line, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends.

Craven Farm: 13817 Short School Road, Snohomish; 360-568-2601; www.cravenfarm.com. Pumpkin patch, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Hay rides, Alice-in-Pumpkinland corn maze, pumpkin slinger and more.

Fairbank Hands-on Pumpkin and Animal Farm: 15308 52nd Ave. W., Edmonds; 425-743-3694; www.fairbankfarm.com. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31. Farm includes vegetable garden, Hidden Bear Trail, corn maze and hay tunnel, teepee.

The Farm at Swan’s Trail: 7301 Rivershore Road, Snohomish; 425-334-4124; www.thefarm1.com. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Barn maze, Washington state corn maze, 9-hole putting course, wagon rides, hay jumps, duck races.

Foster’s Produce and Corn Maze: 5818 Highway 530 NE, Arlington; 360-435-6516; www.fosterscornmaze.com. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Corn maze, pumpkin patch, pumpkin sling shot and more.

Remlinger Farms: 32610 NE 32nd St., Carnation; 425-333-4135; www.remlingerfarms.com. Hours for pumpkin patch and Fall Harvest Festival: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31.

Schuh Farms: 15565 Highway 536 in Mount Vernon; 360-629-6455; www.facebook.com/pages/Schuh-Farms. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Pumpkin patch, Halloween celebrations, corn maze; call for details.

Stocker Farms: 360-568-7391; www.stockerfarms.com. Pumpkin patch and country market, 10622 Airport Way, Snohomish. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Pumpkin park with corn maze, pumpkin patch, farm animals and haunted attractions, across the road at 8705 Marsh Road.

Strotz’s Country Feed: 21713 27th Ave. NE, Arlington; 360-652-6064; www.strotzscountryfeed.com. U-pick pumpkins, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 31.

Thomas Family Farm: 9010 Marsh Road, Snohomish; 360-568-6945; www.thomasfamilyfarm.com. Hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays, 6 p.m. to midnight Fridays, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 31. Pumpkin patches, apple cannon, hay rides (Saturdays and Sundays only), corn maze, haunted house, Zombie Safari Paintball Hayride for ages 12 and older.

Sky Valley Farm Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8; tour working farms, tractor-pulled wagons,educations displays; free; 360-739-0983; www.skyvalleychamber.com.