Autumn Acres is recognized

Janesville’s Autumn Acres Farm has been widely recognized as a top local destination; it was ranked third in the “family fun” category of the Mankato Free Press “Best of Mankato 2023” reader poll. The top two finishers were the YMCA and the Wow!Zone, which are both located in Mankato. “It’s pretty exciting,” farm co-owner Cheryl Bleess said of the award. She added that it was amazing to see her “small, little farm that’s only open twice a year,”ranking so strongly against large businesses in a city like Mankato. 

Autumn Acres Farm is owned by Chad and Cheryl Bleess, who often receive seasonal help from their children Cody, Autumn, and James. The Bleesses have owned the farm property since 2009, when they purchased it from Cheryl’s grandparents. Cheryl grew up very close to the farm where her family now lives and is an alum of Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton High School. Chad is a native of St. Clair and served in the United States Army National Guard for 11 years until about 2004. During Chad’s service, the Bleesses briefly lived in Italy, where he was deployed. They later took up residences in Mankato and Waseca before the opportunity arose to buy Autumn Acres Farm.

Before opening to the public, Cheryl recalled that Autumn Acres was a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm, where customers paid to buy shares of seasonal vegetable crops. In addition, for eight years, Autumn Acres pumpkins were sold on wagons. The various activities that Autumn Acres is known for today began happening 6 or 7 years ago, when the Bleesses decided to expand their business. 

In August, the farm opens to allow visitors to enjoy the sunflower field in bloom. The “Salutation in the Sunflowers” yoga class will take place in the field this year. In September, the farms’ pumpkin patch opens and many of the farm’s seasonal activities take place. The annual Fall Festival is scheduled for September 23, bringing music, food trucks, and vendors to the farm. The next weekend, Cheryl said that “ghost gourds,” are slated to go on sale. The decorated gourds, hand-painted by the family, are known to sell out fast. “A lot of people mark their calendars for that,” said Cheryl. The October 7 Family Fun Fest is another big event that features face painting, caricature artists, and food trailers. Romantically inclined fans of the farm should mark their calendars for the adults-only date night. Cheryl said that last year’s date night “sold out in a day”: The event features a dinner, hay ride, take-home souvenirs, and a romantic atmosphere supplemented by special music. Bleess reported that an engagement took place at last year’s date night and a total of  three have occurred at the farm. Besides those public and ticketed events, Bleess said that Autumn Acres Farm has recently become available to be rented for private or corporate events.

Bleess is a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she was a parks and recreation major. She said she had never been involved in event planning or marketing prior to her work for Autumn Acres, but the one marketing class required for her degree has come in handy. “It has all come back around,” said Bleess. Besides running the farm with her family, Bleess manages its Facebook account, which has attracted a large following. In addition to keeping up with Autumn Acres’ popular seasonal activities, Bleess noted that many people have begun following the account for updates on the flower garden she tends outside her house. 

With devoted fans visiting each fall, a dedicated social media following, and a “Best of Mankato,” award in tow, Bleess is very thankful for the support Autumn Acres Farm has received from its surrounding community. “This is what inspired us to keep going and get bigger to this size,” said Bleess. 

She exclusively revealed that Autumn Acres Farm will be expanding again in the near future, with the recent purchase of Janesville's 19th century schoolhouse, which will be moved onto the property. For many years, the schoolhouse has been in the old town of Janesville, in the country by Waldorf, but will soon be available to be viewed and enjoyed by the larger public. “We need those things that inspire community pride,” said Bleess. She added that Autumn Acres fans should stay tuned for “big announcements” that will be made in August, as the fall season approaches.