The makeshift structures, hand painted signs, assorted critters and funky farm equipment show these three generations of crop producers are the real deal. Tapia Bros. is an extended family operation that began with their grandfather nearly 80 years ago. Tommy Tapia works with his brother Felix, Jr. and they make sure visitors — especially kids — leave with a smile.

The Tapia Bros. Farm stand on Havenhurst in Encino has been a part of (what’s pain relief left of) the San Fernando Valley’s agricultural landscape for nearly 30 years. You’ll find strawberries, tomatoes, and oh-so-sweet corn during the summer, and by fall you’ll discover tasty squash, pumpkins, corn mazes and  hay rides — just because.

I remember asking the patriarch of the family, Felix Sr. if he wouldn’t mind donating a few pumpkins to our cause — and without hesitation he gave me a thumbs up.

We saw 40 kids attend our first workshop. Most of them were so excited to be given “their own” pumpkin to decorate. But the thing that stands out, and the thing that has driven me to keep these sessions going for nearly a quarter century now, was at the end of the day, when child after child came up to me to ask permission to take their pumpkins home with them. It was a really big deal to them, and a bigger  big deal to me. It actually changed my life. And it wouldn’t have happened without the Tapia Brothers.

Most of the pictures you see here are from last week, when Tommy Tapia came through for us again. Only this time it wasn’t 40 pumpkins. See, our little workshop has grown some over the years. On Saturday roughly 350 kids painted their hearts out, and yes, every one of them got to take home their masterpiece. But what they might not know —  is that they also took home a little piece of Tommy Tapia’s heart. That’s ok, as he proves to me every year around this time — there is always more where that came from.