***UPDATE 7/11/2025***
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Okay, hear me out: corn might not sound exciting… but when there are tractors involved, popsicles handed out, and a cow train rolling by, suddenly it becomes the event of the week.
If you’ve got kids who love animals, snacks, or giant machines (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), Tuesday, July 15 at 9:00 AM needs to go on your calendar. That’s when CPP Farms is hosting its Popcorn Planting Picnic, and it’s exactly what summer mornings should be: playful, hands-on, and just a little bit sticky from melted popsicles.
Here’s the deal: the amazing student crew from Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Agriculture is planting the corn that’ll grow into the giant Pumpkin Festival corn mazes (yes, even the kid-sized one that doesn’t leave you lost for hours). And they're doing it the cool way, with big tractors. I mean, what’s not to love?
For $5 a person, you get:
- A peek at real corn planting (and not just the gardening kind-this is large-scale, wheels-turning, dirt-flying stuff)
- A trip through the Petting Farm (weather permitting, so fingers crossed)
- Popcorn to munch on while you watch the action
- An ice-cold popsicle-because summer
- And the fan favorite: the Cow Train
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If I still had littles at home, this would be the kind of morning we’d pack a picnic blanket, kick off our shoes, and let the kids run wild while I sipped something cold and soaked up the farm life fantasy. But even if picnicking isn’t your thing (zero judgment), the Farm Store will be open if you want to grab drinks or snacks instead.
Oh, and keep an eye out for Dr. Ethan Orr, the new Dean of Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Agriculture. He’s got a background in ag tech, education, and even served in the Arizona legislature, so if anyone knows how to make farming cool, it’s him. He might swing by to say hello and check out the action on the ground (or in the soil, more accurately).
In short, this is the kind of quirky local event that makes summer in our area special. It’s low-key, super affordable, and you get to say you saw the start of the corn maze before you’re running through it in October.
📍When: Tuesday, July 15 @ 9AM
📍Where: CPP Farms
🎟️ Admission: $5 per person
Bring sunscreen. Bring a hat. Bring your snack-happy kids. And bring your camera, because between the tractors and the animals and the sticky popsicle faces, this one’s going to be photo-worthy.
AGRIscapes
Cal Poly Pomona
4102 S. University Drive, Pomona
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