Investing in agritourism, especially autumn events including pumpkin patches, hayrides and inflatables, helped this small family farm succeed.

Fall harvest

Article by Molly Schafer Photos courtesy of Tim Filasky October 17, 2025

Middletown’s favorite pumpkin patch: The Blue Hen alumni behind Filasky's Produce and Farm Market

As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to fall, the Filasky family breathes a sigh of relief.

“Everybody’s happy in the fall,” said Cindi Filasky, co-owner and operator of Filasky’s Farm in Middletown, Delaware. “Picking pumpkins when it’s cooler outside, that’s the fun part of farm work!”

Autumn also brings local families to the farm, eager to select the perfect pumpkin or test their wits in the soybean maze.

“It’s a great community event to show people that farms do exist, and they exist very close to you,” said Tim Filasky, UD Class of 2001 alumnus and Cindi’s youngest son.

All three of Cindi and John L. Filasky, Sr.’s children, Julia Winkler (Filasky), John Filasky Jr., and Timothy Filasky, attended the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR).

“Dad said we could go to college anywhere we wanted, as long as it was at the University of Delaware,” said Julia Winkler, UD Class of 1997.

The Filasky siblings, John Filasky Jr., Julia Winkler and Tim Filasky, pose with John Jr.’s sweet corn, a customer favorite. John says his UD education helped him improve processes and better manage the farm.

Their dad, John L. Filasky, Sr., attended UD for a short time before leaving to help with his father’s business. In 1981, John Sr. and Cindi purchased land in Middletown, and the whole family got to work growing sweet corn. In 1994, Filasky’s Produce and Farm Market opened its doors to the public. The Filaskys were recognized as the Delaware Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year in 2000. John Sr. passed away in 2021, leaving the thriving family farm as his legacy.

“I intended to continue working on the farm after high school,” said Tim, who grew up working in the fields alongside his siblings. “But Dad told us we couldn’t work for him unless we had a college degree.”

As UD students, the three Filaskys commuted between the farm and campus, often picking corn or pumpkins before class. Tim and his brother, John Jr., UD Class of 1998, both received a B.A.S. in Agriculture Engineering Technology. Julia earned a B.S. in Agriculture, majoring in plant and soil sciences.

“All three of us got a great education at the University of Delaware and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources specifically,” Tim said.

Filasky’s Produce and Farm Market in Middletown, Delaware, is a family affair. The market sells locally produced goods alongside a variety of Filasky’s own produce. John Filasky Jr. and Tim Filasky carry bushels of corn grown on the family’s farm, now in its 44th year.

Today, John Jr. is the co-owner and operator of Filasky’s Farm. He manages day-to-day operations and the production of local favorites like sweet corn, watermelons and strawberries. John Jr.’s wife, Nicole Filasky (Sklarz), is also a CANR alumna. She designs the farm’s signage and seasonal displays. Nicole has a background in produce; she worked with her father, who owned Phillies Tomato & Produce Corp.

At CANR, John Jr. interned for Professor James L. Glancey, a joint faculty member at the Center for Composite Materials and worked for Ed Kee, the former Delaware Secretary of Agriculture and UD Cooperative Extension professional.

“I learned a lot about fluid science, hydraulics, and how to properly size irrigation systems,” John Jr. said. “My physics professor taught us to break everything down from the original set of physics laws. We didn’t have charts; we had to develop the equations from scratch, and that has helped me greatly over the years.”

John Jr.’s sister Julia said the education the siblings received in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources helped them to improve their growing processes at Filasky’s.

Julia grows Filasky’s tomatoes, known as “Julie’s Jewels,” and teaches culinary arts at Middletown High School. Julia is not a Double Del, but her husband, Vince, studied agronomy in college.

“The whole scope of my work involves feeding people or helping them to feed themselves,” Julia said. “Whether it’s teaching them how to grow something or teaching them how to prepare it so that they enjoy it.”

Juno Filasky, the next generation of farmers and perhaps a future Blue Hen, helps her aunt Julia at the farm’s market.

Tim is the director of Public Works and Water Resources for the City of Newark, Delaware. He is another Double Del; his wife, Danielle Downs, is a UD Class of 2001 alumna and the medical director of First State Urgent Vet. Tim was instrumental in the creation of Newark’s Hillside Park, constructed on the former site of UD’s Rodney Residence Hall Complex. The park helps retain stormwater, as flooding is a significant issue in the area.

“UD was a great partner on that project because it was their property and their decision to sell it to us to make that project a reality,” said Tim, who focused on stormwater management while at UD.

Cindi is responsible for procuring and selling products for the farm market. When she needs help, she calls on the next generation of Filaskys.

“I have two wonderful grandchildren,” Cindi said. “My granddaughter Juno helps me run the register, and my grandson, Frank, is great with customers.”

The whole family helps out during pumpkin season. John Jr. recalls the time his father first instructed him to mow a path through the corn for hayrides.

“You know how much money that is? You just want to mow down four rows of corn,” John Jr. asked his father in shock.

Four generations of Filaskys. John L. Filasky, Sr. (fourth from right), attended the University of Delaware and all three of his children, Julia Winkler (Filasky), John Filasky Jr., and Timothy Filasky — all graduates of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR). The family includes two sets of Double Dels: John Jr. and Nicole (Sklarz) Filasky (not pictured) and Tim and Danielle Downs (second from left).

But as the years went by, the idea seemed less and less crazy.

“The fall that I left Middletown to go to the University of Delaware, we had 3,157 people in the town of Middletown,” John Jr. said. “Now there’s around 24,000.”

The rising population, along with the growing popularity of pumpkin spice and spooky season activities, made hayrides a permanent fixture. John Jr. stopped planting corn along the hayride path to save himself the trouble.

“The first time I actually went and bought a wagon just to give people hay rides, I thought to myself, this is wild,” John Jr. said. “I’m not going to pile watermelons in this wagon, I’m just going to put straw bales on it and let people ride around on it?”

Over the years, the family expanded their agritourism offerings to include bonfires and a play space for kids.

“One of our main drivers now is agritourism,” Tim said. “That’s our favorite time of year because we get the kids coming out and they’re always smiling.”

Middletown’s rising population, along with the growing popularity of pumpkin spice and spooky season activities, made hayrides a permanent fixture at the farm.

Autumn also brings elementary school tours to the farm. Cindi dons a Peter Pumpkin costume to teach children how pumpkins grow.

After 44 years of farming, the Filaskys know their customers by name. John Jr. says a compliment from one of these loyal customers makes his day.

“Whether they tell me the corn is good, the strawberries are sweet, or the asparagus is scrumptious,” John Jr. said. “It gives me a little sense of pride, sure, but it makes me want to work harder to do the things that make our customers happy.”

The Filaskys’ success comes from prioritizing happy customers.

“My husband always said, ‘We don't count the number of customers, we count the number of smiles,’” Cindi said.