Aaron and Kara Smith opened Cedar Creek Farm & Pumpkin Patch in 2019 to make one of their children’s dreams come true. The pumpkin patch became a beloved attraction in the family’s hometown of Maize, Kansas, near Wichita. It opened for the 2025 season on October 3, but this year things are different. The Smiths are facing felony child abuse charges. Although they want to clear their name, the allegations have outraged the community.
Court documents obtained by KAKE state that the Smiths allegedly seriously abused one of their own children on April 19, 2025. Following an investigation, prosecutors charged the couple with felony child abuse on May 1.
The criminal complaint claims that Aaron Smith “unlawfully and knowingly impede the normal breathing or circulation of the blood by applying pressure to the throat, neck or chest of a child under 18 years of age.”
In addition, Kara Smith allegedly “unlawfully and knowingly torture, cruelly beat, cruelly strike or cruelly kick a child at least six years of age but less than 18 years of age.”
KAKE reported in early September that Cedar Creek Farm & Pumpkin Patch had removed its social media and website (but there is currently an active Facebook page for the farm). The farm’s Google listing also stated it was permanently closed. But the Smiths evidently opened for business on October 3.
Kara Smith posted on her personal Facebook account on September 20 with a cryptic message about the business.
“Same heart it has always had, just a little more tired. Needing some wind in our sails, our faithful employees know our hearts and are ready for season 7. Aaron and I couldn’t do it without them!” she wrote in her post.
Loved ones expressed their support for the family and shared their excitement for the upcoming fall season.
“We will be there!!! Can’t wait to see it,” someone wrote.
But not everyone is happy to see Cedar Creek Farm & Pumpkin Patch reopening. The business has limited comments on social media, but that hasn’t stopped people from sharing their opinions. KAKE’s Facebook post has hundreds of comments about the story, and it appears some negative comments may have been deleted from the farm’s Facebook page prior to comments being limited.
“These people are disgusting, and I hate that I ever supported their business,” one person wrote on the KAKE Facebook post.
“No child should be on that property when theirs was hurt by them,” someone else wrote. “They should reap no benefits from the joy of children when they themselves were hurting their beautiful baby. Say what you want it will not change my mind.”
Some people worried about the entire operation. “If they abuse the kids in their care, then how do they treat the animals???” one commenter asked.
This person wanted to give the family the benefit of the doubt, writing, “I hope they are guilty because if they arent, the police and media have destroyed their lives.”
According to a 2019 KSNW report, Eli Smith, the eldest child, had the idea to open the Cedar Creek Farm & Pumpkin Patch. The couple’s other son, Peyton, had a brain tumor when he was younger and that changed the family’s life forever.
“I worked a lot and I always thought, there’s always tomorrow and when we were faced with the fact that there was a possibility that there wasn’t a tomorrow, then you start realizing that life’s short and you need to unplug and spend as much family time together as possible,” Aaron Smith said.
For now, the Smiths are innocent until proven guilty. If the accusations are true, they’re certainly putting on a show for social media.
