Autumn Acres fun for the whole family

BIRNAMWOOD — Energetic, artistic and a true entrepreneur, Karen Schairer has built a business the past eight years out of giving people a fun on the farm experience.

Owner of Schairer’s Autumn Acres, the secret to her success is adding something new each year and always striving to give great customer service.

This year, she’s trying out a “Sips and Succulents” workshop. For $40, you can sample wine while crafting a centerpiece out of succulent snips and little pumpkins to take home.

“I’ve been making these for the past three years, and they sell very well in my greenhouse,” said Schairer, who carries a wide variety of succulents.

The wine comes from the Munson Bridge winery in Withee, Wisconsin. There will be 12 varieties to choose from, and there will also be the opportunity to buy bottles to take home. This event will run from 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19. Reservations are required.
Schairer will run the workshop. The pumpkins are not pierced, so they will last all season.

They bought a food truck this year and decided to also sell appetizers at the event, which is geared toward being a girls’ night out.

“My sister Brenda Zastrow is in charge of the light menu — perfect for sharing.” said Schairer. “Cooking and baking is a passion of hers.”

Also new this year is the sunflower field where people can come for a photo opportunity. The timing was a little off, so she opened early for people to experience the sunflowers, but they will probably be done blooming by this weekend.

“That’s just life as a farmer,” Schairer said with a laugh.

There is also more live music than she has had in past years. She acknowledges that the live music provides great ambiance. She notes the guests are just happier when a band is playing.

“I love art and I’m a sucker for live music,” said Schairer, who has lined up Quarry Road, The Drovers and a relatively new band, the Resch Family Gospel Singers.

Every weekend there is something different to do, see or hear. She has two corn mazes — one geared for little kids — and a petting zoo, a bale fort, hamster wheels and duck race. Admission is $6 for kids and $8 for adults.

Another thing that sets her business apart from other farm excursions is the field trip. Schairer gets requests from the local schools and as far away as Merrill. She only books one school per day so that the students get the farm to themselves. They go through the farm in a round-robin format, spending 15 minutes in each section.

She’s working with the Bowler FFA, hoping to have a barn dance.

Adding a food truck will give them so many more options. She’s rented trucks in the past, which limited the types of food they could sell. This year in addition to cheese curds, she’ll have butterfly fries and, with a little bit of luck, donuts in the mornings.

AT A GLANCE
WHAT: Schairer’s Autumn Acres
WHEN: Noon to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: 194 Western Ave., Birnamwood
WHO: Karen Schairer
PHONE: 715- 573-8397 Open weekends now through Halloween