For the love of ag and community: The Twelves opens new pumpkin patch and venue

Sep. 27—When Morgan Satterwhite wanted to take her 2-year-old daughter Riata to a pumpkin patch last fall, she struggled to find one that was ideal for her.

"When the weather's nice on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and your kids are about to drive you crazy, you want somewhere to be able to take them," Satterwhite said. "There's nothing wrong with what's in Stillwater, it's just not a farm ... it's different when you can let them run and play."

That gave her and her business partner, Meagan Stephens, an idea.

Their passion for agritourism drove them to open a venue called The Twelves, whose pumpkin patch opens Friday and remains open until Nov. 5.

The Twelves pumpkin patch at 121 West 68th Street was designed to not only highlight Oklahoma agriculture but also provide wholesome family fun to Stillwater.

During the week, the patch will be open Tuesday — Sunday from 10 a.m. to dusk. Tickets are $8 each.

The Twelves includes a petting zoo, a haystack maze and games. Concessions are available on site.

They partnered with 12 made-in-Oklahoma vendors whose products will be available in the barn on Friday.

Upcoming events at the venue include Fall Fest on Oct. 15 and Nov. 5 with food trucks, vendors, local artists and family-friendly activities. College Night will be hosted on Oct. 18 (students need a valid OSU ID to enter).

"We both grew up through 4H and FFA since we were old enough to get into it," Stephens said. "Both sets of our parents are farmers and ranchers, and I think that just has been embedded in us that we need to give back to that community and to highlight where we come from."

Stephens grew up in upstate New York, and Satterwhite is from southern Oklahoma. Both attended Oklahoma State University, and both chose to stay in Stillwater after graduation.

They met in 2012 at OSU during a collegiate cattlewomen's meeting. Their venue name, The Twelves, is a throw-back to the year they met, as well as Riata's birthdate, Dec. 12, and her birth measurements.

Experience-based agritourism businesses typically operate year round, or if they are seasonal, are attached to an existing farm or ranch business.

"Not only does it benefit the community and teach them a little bit about agriculture, but it also is a support for these local farmers and ranchers that need somewhere to highlight everything they bust their butt on," Stephens said. "We work hard all year."

Satterwhite said there's a lack of agriculture education and they would love to hold agriculture education classes on site.

"There's still a huge disconnect from your general population and your ag community," Satterwhite said. "I don't care how close to rural America you are, there's still a huge disconnect, and it's because everyone's so remote from it."

She said less than 1 percent of the U.S. population makes production agriculture their livelihood.

"I don't want to say you can't make money farming, (but) it's hard," Satterwhite said. "It has to be on a large, large scale."

Stephens agreed.

"Less than 2 percent of the kids that grow up on family farms and ranches come back to their family farms," Stephens said.

Satterwhite and her husband are fourth-generation farmer-ranchers, and she said The Twelves is her opportunity to give back to agriculture. The Twelves will host several members-only OSU sorority events to help educate students about agriculture.

"If they want to go check cows and ride around, how about it? Let's do it," Satterwhite said.

Satterwhite and her husband, Dillon, own multiple businesses, including Top Hand Field Services, Top Hand Agriculture Equipment, Rambling S Land and Cattle, Lawton Meat Processing and Rambling S Airbnbs and rent houses.

In Stillwater, their 480-acre property, where The Twelves is located, is a peaceful spot to watch a sunrise and sip coffee, she said. Together, the Satterwhites own about 2,000 acres.

Stephens owns Meaganish, a photography, graphic design and marketing business, in addition to co-owning a 100-sheep herd in New York. She travels frequently to stock shows to take pictures.

Together, they bring their strengths to the table — Satterwhite's decorating abilities and Stephens' marketing skills — and have already booked three birthday parties, a wedding reception and a baby shower.

And the two aren't finished.

They plan to add farm-to-table dinners, options for private photographers to offer family fall sessions and even possibly host livestock auctions. Not to mention upcoming holiday plans such as Mother's Day, Easter and the Fourth of July.