WEST ROYAL SLOPE - Three girls, who call themselves Super Sisters, are getting some valuable lessons about life through what you could call a unique home school.

Reese Burke, 10, Sydney Burke, 8, and Jesse Burke, 6, are the proprietors of the Super Sisters Pumpkins pumpkin patch about 10 miles west of Royal City at Beverly-Burke Road and Road 10.

The Burke sisters receive help from their parents, Jonathan and Kendra Burke, but they are the principal work force. They start the plants in cups, plant them in the field, care for them and then sell the production.

"We wanted them to learn they have to work for what they want," Kendra said.

"I'm trying to teach them how hard it is to earn money and how easy it is to spend it," Jonathan said.

The Super Sisters started their project two years ago, and Jesse has pulled her weight all three seasons. The girls work weekends and after school from the first of May to the end of harvest.

"They work long hours, for kids," Kendra said. "Three hours is a long time for a kid to work."

The Burkes are full time farmers, working with Jonathan's father. They have 124 acres of their own, and the elder Burke has 205 acres.

The Burkes produce timothy and alfalfa hay for the export market in Japan. The had 2,000 tons this year.

Jonathan is not sure, but he believes his family is connected to the naming of Beverly-Burke Road. His grandfather was first to farm the west end of the Royal Slope.

"I researched it a little and found out a man from West Virginia started the (now-defunct) town of Burke," he said. "My grandfather was from West Virginia."

The Burke girls call what they do, "fun." They excitedly go about their chores. When a car pulls into the pumpkin patch, they recognize a potential sale and run to the customer.

"One thing this has done for the girls is make it easier for them to speak in public," Kendra said.

"I have learned how to spend money wisely," Reese said.

"I have learned more about using a calculator," Sydney commented.

"I have learned that pumpkins need water and sun to grow," Jesse added.

Part of the fun is knowing there will be a payoff at the end of the season. Last year it was about $1,000. The girls bought a Z50 dirt bike.

"We also carved 211 pumpkins to decorate our house for Halloween," Reese said.

The Super Sisters start their seven varieties of pumpkin plants (more than 300) in Styrofoam cups outside of the farm shop at the start of May. When there is danger of frost, they move the plants indoors and then bring them out again.

About the first of June, when the plants are 8-10 inches tall, the Super Sisters load them on their father's pickup. He transports them to the patch, which is a piece of ground between haystacks.

Then the Super Sisters spend the summer watering, fertilizing and weeding the patch.

Reese's favorite chore is fertilizing. Sydney likes planting in the field. Jesse gets a kick out of sales.

The Super Sisters have long-range goals connected to the pumpkin patch. Jesse is saving for a giant teddy bear, and Sydney is saving for college.

Reese is saving for culinary school. Her favorite television programming is The Food Channel, and she has experience.

"I help my mom make cookies and brownies and stuff like that," she said.

The Super Sisters will be at their pumpkin patch every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to greet customers. People who wish to buy pumpkins at other times may call Kendra at 760-2637.