Weather blamed for pumpkin supply decrease

Because summer skies were a little less blue, this fall might be a little less orange.
Area farmers are reporting an increase in the number of pumpkins that have been ruined or severely damaged by the constant rain and relatively mild temperatures this summer.
“They just didn’t grow as effectively,” said Laura Wood, co-owner of Wood Farms, an agritourism operation located in Crawford County. “We had all of these non-sun-shining days, cooler days, and there was just too much moisture on the ground.”
Wood said that in typical years, pumpkins seeds are planted in July, with a full healthy crop “ready to go” by October. But the mild, wet summer caused many of the pumpkins to develop fungus and what’s described as “powdery mildew.”
“Sitting on a wet ground all summer isn’t good for them,” Wood said. “We still have pumpkins, but they’re just not as large and not as plentiful as in years past.”
Ruth Zimmerman, co-owner of Hickory Creek Farm, located southeast of Girard, is experiencing a similar problem with her pumpkin crop this year.
“This summer was just widespread wetness and coolness,” she said. “They don’t like this weather. We love it, but they hate it. It makes them rot.”
While Zimmerman said there’s not necessarily a shortage of pumpkins this year, there are certainly less from which customers can choose. And a decrease in the amount of pumpkins means a decrease in the amount of the initial investment the farmers make back through sells.
“The investment in growing pumpkins is not as much as regular farming,” Zimmerman said, “but it is an investment. It can cost $500 just to buy the seed. We planted our first batch of seed and it was all washed away. So the rain can certainly cause some problems.”
Southeast Kansas is not the only area having issues with fewer pumpkins this year. Media reports throughout the country are telling stories of pumpkin shortages, with some asking if it will “sabotage Halloween.”
In Ames, Iowa, for example, a pumpkin shortage has “put a crunch” on the canned pumpkin supply, according to a Des Moines television news outlet. A grower in Marietta, New York told a Syracuse news station that he has “about two-thirds of what we’d normally have.”
But while rain and soggy ground may have had an overall negative effect on pumpkin supply, it has the oppose effect on the size of what’s called “giant” pumpkins. Because the larger-than-normal pumpkins need a lot of water to reach their full potential, area growers are reporting record sizes and weights.
“With our giants,” Wood said, “we’re usually lucky to get some to 100 pounds. This year, though, we’re pretty sure we have several that are well over 200 pounds. So some of our stuff is growing better than usual.”
The story’s the same at Hickory Creek Farm.
“Our giants have done much better this year,” Zimmerman said. “In previous years we have ones around 70 pounds. We now have one that’s around 124 pounds, which is our biggest one yet. So for some reason, they’ve done better.”
Pumpkin shortage or not, both Wood Farms and Hickory Creek are prepared to resume their annual traditions of hosting fall season activities at their sites.
Starting on Oct. 3, Wood Farms features a Jack-O-Lantern Express Train, a Corn Barn, a corn maze, a hay maze, hay tunnel, two bounce house inflatables, pumpkin chunking slingshots, farm fresh food products and decorations. Wood Farms is located at 1122 S. 200 St., just southwest of the Pittsburg city limits.
Hickory Creek Farms, starting today, will host weekend activities through the month of October. Families are encouraged to bring their children to observe the farm animals, take a wagon ride to a pumpkin patch, play in a “big tub of corn” and make their way through a six-acre corn maze, among other activities. The farm is located at 426 S. 30th Street in McCune.