When eight-year-old Ivy Millsap and her sister Charlotte, 10, told their dad they wanted a puppy, he responded by asking how they intended to pay for it.
The girls purchased $181 worth of pumpkin seeds with a business start-up loan from father Chris Millsap, and the Pumpkin Spice Sisters was born.
Ivy and Charlotte took over a half acre plot on the family farm in Clearview and planted six rows of pumpkins, each different variety. The field had irrigation, so watering was not a concern, but the pair had to tend their pumpkin patch regularly, pulling weeds and monitoring growth. Their first foray into horticulture was quite successful with about 90 per cent of the seeds germinating and producing pumpkins.
“Once they get growing,” says Charlotte “you just sit back and watch. They grow so fast you can see differences day by day.”
Aunt Lynn Gowan says this has been an incredible learning experience. “It’s teaching them about money,” she said, “about making change and keeping track of expenses, and about interacting with customers.”
The girls have excelled at customer interaction. In their first two weeks at the Creemore Farmers’ Market they sold $860 worth of pumpkins. An order for 40 pumpkins from the Creemore Business Improvement Area swelled the puppy fund.
Ivy and Charlotte, along with one of their cousins, entered their pumpkins at the Great Northern Exhibition and came away with a first place ribbon for the tallest pumpkin, and several other prizes.
It seems hardly surprising that the Millsap girls are demonstrating such entrepreneurial spirit at such an early age. Their father started a lawn care business at the age of 13 and now, together with his wife, owns the Dorchester Hotel in Collingwood.
Ivy and Charlotte intend to be at the Farmers’ Market for at least one more week, and then may sell the rest of their pumpkins at the end of the driveway.
Trina Berlo photo: Ivy and Charlotte Millsap are selling pumpkins with the goal of raising enough money to get a puppy.