Young gourd-growing brothers hope to finance family getaway

Step 1: Choose seeds from the store.

Step 2: Spend all summer planting, gardening and harvesting pumpkins, gourds and fruit to sell to neighbors.

Step 3: Profit.

So far, this plan has been simple to implement for Wheaton entrepreneurs Chase, Brice and Logan Balosky - who also happen to be ages 9, 6 and 4, respectively.

The brothers were inspired to start their fledgling business when they learned their parents, Terry and Ann, planned to take them to Walt Disney World this November.

Terry suggested the boys try to earn their spending money and helped launch their plan, teaching them the finer points of gardening.

"I make them work for it a little," Terry Balosky said. "I told the boys whatever you guys grow, you could set up a stand in front of the house or walk around the neighborhood and sell the gourds and the pumpkins."

And this fall that's exactly what the boys are doing with their pumpkins - some which have grown to more than 50 pounds - and other produce.

"It's been fun," Chase said. "But when it's time to harvest, you get really dirty."

And even though neighbors like Sue Hervey are already reserving their pumpkins or buying gourds for table centerpieces, the Balosky boys are one step ahead.

The children say they love their new garden so much, they want to continue their mini-business next year and start growing Indian corn, too.

Their mom, Ann, is proud of the boys and can't wait to see where the future takes them.

"I was the skeptic," she said. "I just couldn't believe how big the pumpkins got. So they'll do it again next year, maybe sell a little more, and who knows where they'll be in a few years?"