Pa’s Posey Patch in Cassville has been catching the eye of professional and amateur photographers as it has grown in recognition.

Dennis and Brenda Epperly own an operate the 60 acre property at 21501 Farm Road 1120 in Cassville.

Pa’s Posey Patch started four years ago in August.

“I always raised flowers and strawberries, but when I retired I started this,” Dennis Epperly said. “I had lived on the property since 1983, that is when the house was built, but we have owned the land and farm since 1976.” At first it was all grassland,

At first it was all grassland, but over the years it has grown into fields of fruits, vegetables and flowers.

“I was a school teacher where

I taught agriculture and Brenda was a postmaster,” he said. “I taught at Cassville, Washburn and Wheaton for 30 years combined. I retired in 2003.”

Dennis and Brenda were married June 13, 1970, and they recently celebrated their 52 wedding anniversary together.

“We have a son who we adopted in 1976,” Epperly said. “It has always been our intention to have a farm. I have raised all kinds of crops and animals. The flower farm just kind of happened.”

Epperly started to invite people and professional photographers and over the past four years it has really blossomed.

“People in Northwest Arkansas found us really quickly,” he said. “I had posted on one of the garden Facebook pages.”

Epperly started inviting people for free, but the cost of maintaining the beautiful destination is significant.

“Now all I ask for is donation, and I ask for $25 from the professional photographers,” he said. “I always try to promote the professional photographers on the Facebook page when I can.”

The season starts the last weekend in March and lasts until October.

People can see Crimson Clover in mid April and Poppies in May, along with white daisies and blue Batchelor Buttons. “I like to have red,

“I like to have red, white and blue flowers for Memorial Day,” he said. “The first week in July is when the summer crops come in.

“The biggest attraction is the Sunflowers. I plant them every 12 days until the first frost.” Through the summer

Through the summer and into the fall, people can also enjoy Zinnias, Cosmos and Marigolds.

“We also have a fiveacre pumpkin field that ripens through Labor Day,” he said. “People can donate to pick them. It’s not for the money. If I wanted to be rich, I’d have married a rich woman.”

During the down months, Epperly said he catches up on sleep.

“I also write books,” he said. “I have three published so far. I go to growers conferences too, and I get a lot of invitations to those.

“The Missouri Farm Bureau will be touring my place and the Exeter Corn Maze in July.”

Epperly said he writes about growing up in the Ozarks in the 1950s, rural schools, and the areas strawberry days.

“I am a proud graduate of a one room rural school,” Epperly said. “And Barry County was the largest strawberry-grower from the 1920s to the 1950s.

“The Barry County Museum has information on the strawberry days, and there is a picture of me. I knew I was a museum piece, but there was my picture, young and growing strawberries.”

People can follow the Facebook page Pa’s Posey Patch for more updates.