News

Spring Festival 2026
Spring Festival 2026
20 years!  We have been holding our Spring Festival and Annual Egg Hunt since 2006.  Over the years, we have switched things up regarding how many hunts we have done,... Read more...
Crafters Corner at our Gift Shop.
Crafter’s Corner and DIY Craft Days
                  Two of our most popular areas of our gift shop on the farm is the Crafter’s Corner and our Raw Gourd... Read more...
A New Year – 2026
A New Year – 2026
We are now a few days into the new year which promises to be filled with happiness, love, prosperity and most of all memories, but we would be remised if... Read more...
Thank you for a wonderful 2025 Sunflower Festival!
Thank you for a wonderful 2025 Sunflower Festival!
THANK YOU so much to everyone who visited our farm this weekend! We are so grateful for every single guest, musician, sound tech, vendor, paramedic, and helper who made this... Read more...
30 Years of Crafting: The Last Decade (2016-2025)
This is the last installment in our series of blogs chronicling our business history and 30 years of crafting smiles!  There have been three other blogs broken down into a timeline which you can read on our website. Here is the first years and you can read the second here.   From 2016 until 2019, we continued to do classes on the farm, host outside events throughout the year and hold Create Your Owns for every season. We also continued to grow the retail side of our business both online and... Read more...
The Middle Years (2008 - 2015)
The Middle Years (2008 - 2015)
                This is the third installment in a series of blogs recounting how Meadowbrooke Gourds got started.  We are lucky enough to be... Read more...
The Beginning of Retail and Events (1997-2007)
The Beginning of Retail and Events (1997-2007)
A few weeks ago, I started writing a series of blogs about Meadowbrooke Gourds and how we got started 30 years ago. If you missed the other blog, you can... Read more...
The Very Early Years of Meadowbrooke Gourds (1993-1996)
The Very Early Years of Meadowbrooke Gourds (1993-1996)
 Meadowbrooke Gourds, believe it or not, is celebrating 30 years in business. I have been asked, since I am one of the founding members, to write up a small series... Read more...
The “Mom” of Meadowbrooke
The “Mom” of Meadowbrooke
    Mother’s Day is just a few days away and I wanted to talk to you about the “mom” of Meadowbrooke Gourds.  She is very near and dear to... Read more...
Annual Gourd Egg Hunt: A Fun Tradition That Feeds the Community
Annual Gourd Egg Hunt: A Fun Tradition That Feeds the Community
An egg hunt that helps fight hunger? You read that right! Our Annual Gourd Egg Hunt isn’t just about the thrill of the search—it’s also about giving back to the... Read more...
Cancun Beach
Sunning in Cancun- Meadowbrooke Gourds Team Building Vacation of 2025
As many of you may know, every few years, we close our small business and go on a company vacation together along with our spouses, significant others and sometimes even... Read more...
Love Bugs Have Invaded Meadowbrooke
Love Bugs Have Invaded Meadowbrooke
This year we introduced the new Love Bug gourd for Valentine’s Day. What you may not know is that there are many "Love Bugs" working together here at Meadowbrooke Gourds.... Read more...
What's Going On??
What's Going On??
Ever wonder what is the best way to get information about everything that is going on at Meadowbrooke Gourds? When is the Summer Celebration? What sale is going on? When... Read more...
Summer Celebration 2023
Summer Celebration 2023
Well, our spring events are over and now we are heading into getting ready for the Summer Celebration and there are a lot of things to see and do this... Read more...
The Daily Visitors
The Daily Visitors
This blog is about some little visitors that are very near and dear to my heart. If you have ever been lucky enough to be in our gift shop around... Read more...
Spring on the Farm 2023
Spring on the Farm 2023
Well, although we didn’t have a very harsh winter in PA, I think we are all ready to start thinking about Spring and warmer weather.  Here at the farm, Spring... Read more...
Fall Create Your Own How to Register
Fall Create Your Own How to Register
Our Fall Create Your Own is right around the corner. Many of you know that this is our annual Fall event. Our experienced crafters will help you make wonderful fall... Read more...
A New Face at Meadowbrooke
A New Face at Meadowbrooke
Some companies have revolving doors when it comes to employees but that is not the case at Meadowbrooke. Most people when they come to work at Meadowbrooke tend to stick... Read more...
How To Plant Gourd Seeds
How To Plant Gourd Seeds
How To Plant Gourd Seeds A few weeks before the last frost of the year is the best time to begin starting your gourd seeds inside your home or greenhouse.... Read more...
A Great Big Thank You to our Spring Create Your Own Customers!
A Great Big Thank You to our Spring Create Your Own Customers!
We had a full house of happy crafters at our Spring Create Your Own gourd event again this season. There are so many things I want to thank our customers for that I’m not sure... Read more...
Our Adorable New Tiny Gourds
Our Adorable New Tiny Gourds
​As most of you know, Meadowbrooke is never content so we are always looking for the newest design and always listening to our customer’s ideas. So, our team of about... Read more...
Spring Fling Event
Spring Fling Event
There was an unmistakable feeling of delight in the air this morning as I wondered around the newly renovated space at Meadowbrooke Gourds. The warm hum building as people began... Read more...
Meadowbrooke Gourds Tours
Meadowbrooke Gourds Tours
Have you ever wondered how we started crafting gourds and exactly how we do it?  Well, we have the answers, and you can too! Read more...
Sunflowers and Secrets
Sunflowers and Secrets
Here we are in the middle of September and our Sunflower season is in full swing, the Sunflower Festival is just over a week away and the Cumberland County Best... Read more...
Sunflower Advice
Sunflower Advice
Sunflower season has begun at Meadowbrooke Gourds and unless we get an early frost, we should have them well into October.  I thought I would do some research to find... Read more...
Fall is in the Air at Meadowbrooke
Fall is in the Air at Meadowbrooke
Although we have been having a heat wave here at the farm lately, we are still gearing up for Fall!! Before we know it, cooler weather will be upon us... Read more...
Gourd Craft Kits for Kids
Gourd Craft Kits for Kids
Can you believe that it is August already? I know when my kids were younger, August was the point where they felt they had done everything that there was to... Read more...
A Thank You To Our Military
A Thank You To Our Military
I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July and was able to spend at least some of it with friends and family. I didn’t get to spend the holiday... Read more...
Are My Gourds Rotting?
Are My Gourds Rotting?
First off I would like to thank Janice Dean from the store Front Porch Gallery in Columbus, Georgia for the pictures and for allowing me to tell everyone about a... Read more...
How Do We Pick The Product of The Month?
How Do We Pick The Product of The Month?
One of the questions we are asked is “How do you decide what gourds to make for Product of the Month?” At that point we normally respond “the idea bank... Read more...
Meadowbrooke Happenings
Meadowbrooke Happenings
It has been a while since I have written a blog to keep you all updated but it has been a crazy spring here on the farm. Tomorrow, May 22nd... Read more...
Planting Your Gourd Plant In Your Garden
Planting Your Gourd Plant In Your Garden
Planting your gourd in your garden is a time of great optimism. The seed you planted into a pot about a month ago is ready to become a huge plant.... Read more...
Sowing the Gourd Seeds
Sowing the Gourd Seeds
The circle of life on our gourd farm all starts here. We haven’t finished gathering last year’s crop from our fields and already this year’s crop is started in the... Read more...
Crafting your own Gourd with Us
Crafting your own Gourd with Us
Well, here we go again, breaking something that is working well and bringing smiles to many of our customers. Why would we do this? It’s simple; really, we can do... Read more...
Common Questions and Their Answers
Common Questions and Their Answers
Since folks are naturally intrigued by gourds and interested in our unique business, each day we are asked many questions. In this article, we have answered the most commonly asked... Read more...
Spring is Coming to the Farm
Spring is Coming to the Farm
It is Saturday morning and I am sitting here drinking my coffee and thinking I should be cleaning my house but instead I decided to write to all of you.... Read more...
Event Dates for 2021
Event Dates for 2021
Meadowbrooke Gourds 2021 Save the Dates 125 Potato Road Carlisle, PA 17015Phone: 717-776-6029Please note: Dates may change with updates to Covid regulations Spring Create Your Own: March 6 & 7,... Read more...
Welcome 2021 at our Farm
Welcome 2021 at our Farm
Welcome 2021 2021, a fresh year and a fresh start! Everyone I have talked to was more than ready to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to a new year.... Read more...
The Vivacious Dori Heller
The Vivacious Dori Heller
​It’s now time to introduce one of the lovely ladies who works here at Meadowbrooke, and a no better place to start would be with the vivacious Doreen Heller. Dori... Read more...
Black Friday Sale 2020
Black Friday Sale 2020
Black Friday Sale and Information We are less than two weeks away from our Black Friday Sale in our retail store and I wanted to go over a few things... Read more...
Thankful for November
Thankful for November
November is the month when a lot of us think about all the things we are thankful for in our lives. Here at Meadowbrooke, we are thankful that we are... Read more...
Fall in October
Fall in October
We are officially in the Fall season and have lots packed in the month of October! Fall Sale We kick off October with our Annual Fall Sale from October 10th... Read more...
Sunflowers for Seniors
Sunflowers for Seniors
Meadowbrooke Gourds has been crafting smiles for over 25 years. This year, we would like to have you help us spread smiles to people in your community. We have chosen... Read more...
October at Meadowbrooke
October at Meadowbrooke
October!  Fall arrived officially on September 23rd but the weather in PA is still pretty warm most days.  Soon the days will be shorter, the leaves will turn crimson and... Read more...
September at Meadowbrooke
September at Meadowbrooke
September is the beginning of our busy time here at Meadowbrooke Gourds. We have lots of fun and exciting things going on at the farm. Sunflower Season Our sunflower season... Read more...
Farm Happenings
Farm Happenings
Sunflowers! Over the last few weeks, this is the topic I get asked about more than anything else. Are your sunflower fields blooming? The answer is not yet, we have... Read more...
Sunflower Festival 2020
Sunflower Festival 2020
Our annual Sunflower Festival will take place this year on September 26th and 27th. This Festival has become a tradition for many families and although it will look a little... Read more...
July on the Farm
July on the Farm
We have been reopened for a month and lots of planning has happened in that short amount of time. I have ordered and received some new lines in our retail... Read more...
What Other Places are Near Meadowbrooke to Visit?
What Other Places are Near Meadowbrooke to Visit?
One frequently asked question I get in the retail store is what else is there to see near Meadowbrooke Gourds.  Well, I never really knew exactly what was around us... Read more...
Shawn's Mandu Dog
Shawn's Mandu Dog
As many of you know by now, we lost a founding and very special member of our business family last year. Shawn Trostle passed away suddenly in March 2019 at... Read more...