When October rolls around most of us know what to expect: pumpkins, scary movies and can- dycorn.
For the people who live in the San Joaquin County, it also means Dell’Osso Family Farms.
Dell’Osso has been a staple Halloween treat since 1997.
For many of the employees who’ve worked the farm each season, serving the customers is what makes the experience.
“Every day is an adventure,” said Elsa Arripla, 53, an employee of five years.
Rachel Parker, an employee of four years, said that she too loves working at Dell’Osso.
“I love talking to people. I love that I can come here and meet all these different families. People from my area, I get to ask, ‘hey where are you from, how long have you been here, is this your first time here’, make suggestions of the things their kids and they might like to go on, and just meet all different personalities,” Parker said.
The employees have a lot of interaction with customers and all seem to have a cheering and inviting attitude.
“The staff has been pretty nice. We’ve been asking them where all the rides are at and stuff and they’ve been telling us everything,” said Crystal Garcia, a Dell’Osso customer who was at the farm here for a second time with her son Adrian.
Employees praise mutual support and efficien- cy as key in the work environment.
There was no one type of employee. Diversity was tremendous. Employees move around the farm daily. One day they are working the pumpkin shooters, the next they are working the corn maze.
“[My coworkers] are excellent. We are a team,” added Arripla.
Many employees grew up coming to the farm with their families. So they wanted to continue to bring the joy they had to other families from all around.
“Absolutely [would recommend applying] if you just need some side money, something to do to keep you busy in October, if you just want something to do, yeah it’s great. It’s a great job, it’s a great opportunity, I’ve met some really awesome people, made some great friends that I hope will be with me for life,” said Parker.
For many families, Dell’Osso is held as a spe- cial tradition.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. When I first started coming here it was parking and corn maze, so I’ve seen it really go from that to what we see here today which is so much more… It is special to me. It’s something that someday if I don’t live here I’ll really miss,” said Parker.
Not only do families keep this family farm close to the heart, the community does as well.
“For the community it has a special meaning. Because it is a very family oriented place and they treat you as family,” said Arripla.
