Tuinbouwbedrijf Bonten in Baexem is a pick-your-own farm specialising in pumpkins and asparagus. The farm grows over 150 varieties of pumpkins and gourds, including ornamental, edible and Halloween types.
Pumpkin picking takes place in autumn. The main pick-your-own days are held on the last Sunday in September and the first Sunday in October, from 10.00 to 16.00. Entry costs €2.50 per person (children under two free). You pay for the pumpkins by weight: up to 5 kg at €1.95 per kilo, 5–10 kg at €1.60 per kilo, and over 10 kg at €1.40 per kilo. Pumpkins heavier than 8 kg are half price per kilo. Bring your own secateurs and bags, or use the farm’s buckets. A trolley shuttles between the field and the farmyard to transport your harvest.
For those who prefer a quieter visit, the farm also runs four pumpkin-picking afternoons in October—two on Saturdays (14.00 to 16.30) and two on Wednesdays (15.00 to 17.00). Entry is free, and the same pricing applies. No activities or refreshments are provided on these days.
On the main pick-your-own days, the farm offers additional activities for children, including a treasure hunt, games, a bouncy castle, a tractor and go-kart track, face painting and pumpkin decorating. Food and drinks, such as pumpkin soup, waffles, coffee and hot chocolate, are available for purchase.
The farm also organises Halloween events on 24 October, with pumpkin carving and a haunted house experience in the afternoon and evening. These are free to attend.
In spring and early summer, the farm focuses on asparagus. From mid-April to late June, you can pick your own white asparagus during an interactive workshop. The workshop, which lasts about 90 minutes, includes a demonstration of how asparagus is harvested, the chance to pick your own, and instructions on sorting and peeling. Participants take home 500 grams of asparagus (250 grams for children aged 4–11). Workshops are held on selected dates in April, May and June, with tickets priced at €10 for children and €15 for adults. Booking is required.
The farm has a self-service shop selling pumpkins, gourds, asparagus, strawberries, potatoes, eggs, dairy products, jam and seasonal produce. A farm vending machine is stocked with potatoes, eggs, dairy and strawberries, and is accessible daily from 08.00 to 20.00. The farm shop is open from April to June, with limited hours: Monday to Thursday 16.00 to 17.00, Friday 10.00 to 11.30 and 16.00 to 17.00, Saturday 09.00 to 12.00, and Sunday 10.00 to 12.00. The farm also operates a webshop for pre-orders, which can be collected during shop hours or from lockers next to the vending machine.
Parking is available at the farm.
What visitors say
Visitors come for the pumpkin-picking days in late September and early October. The farm sets up a field with pumpkins of all sizes, and you can walk out with a bucket and shears to choose your own. Most say it’s well organised: there’s a tractor to take your pumpkins back to the farm, and you pay by the kilo, with bigger pumpkins working out cheaper per kilo. Kids have plenty to do—skelters, a bouncy castle, face-painting, and a pumpkin-decorating table (though one visitor missed that last year). The staff are friendly and the setting is pleasant, though a few find it too crowded on busy days.
Outside pumpkin season, the farm sells asparagus and dairy products. A few visitors have tried the asparagus workshop, where you learn to harvest and taste fresh produce, and come away with armfuls of asparagus and strawberries.