Fall is right around the corner and that means you might be thinking about Halloween. But your search for the perfect pumpkin for a jack-o’-lantern may be harder this year.The pumpkin farming season goes back to May and June when the seeds are planted. For some farms, including Paul Mazza’s in Essex Junction, wet soil made it harder. “The spring made it actually really hard to get a lot of planting done because most fields were so wet you couldn’t get your tractor into them,” said farm stand manager, Kaity Mazza. “So, pumpkins went in a little bit later than we had preferred. But they still seem to be arriving on time and in good quality. Thankfully, it came around.”They were worried about the drought, but while their crops recovered, other farms across the state weren’t as lucky. “People don’t have a crop of pumpkins or squash because of things that happened in May or June and then we went into a drought, so compounding effects of that,” said Heather Darby, an agronomist with University of Vermont Extension. “Then other people I’ve talked to have a bumper crop of good quality pumpkins.”At Whitcomb Farm’s new location in Essex Junction, they’re having a great year. They attribute the abundance to their land, which used to be a field of grass.”It’s one of the best crops we’ve had in the 23 years. We thought the drought there might have hurt us, but they say once pumpkin plants are established and they’ve pollinated, we’ve got some what they call virgin pumpkin land here,” said Mary Whitcomb. Whitcomb says their new farm is less flood-prone, which was one of the reasons for their move. It opens to the public next Saturday, Sept. 20.At Paul Mazza’s, they have a new pumpkin house for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
Fall is right around the corner and that means you might be thinking about Halloween. But your search for the perfect pumpkin for a jack-o’-lantern may be harder this year.
The pumpkin farming season goes back to May and June when the seeds are planted. For some farms, including Paul Mazza’s in Essex Junction, wet soil made it harder.
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“The spring made it actually really hard to get a lot of planting done because most fields were so wet you couldn’t get your tractor into them,” said farm stand manager, Kaity Mazza. “So, pumpkins went in a little bit later than we had preferred. But they still seem to be arriving on time and in good quality. Thankfully, it came around.”
They were worried about the drought, but while their crops recovered, other farms across the state weren’t as lucky.
“People don’t have a crop of pumpkins or squash because of things that happened in May or June and then we went into a drought, so compounding effects of that,” said Heather Darby, an agronomist with University of Vermont Extension. “Then other people I’ve talked to have a bumper crop of good quality pumpkins.”
At Whitcomb Farm’s new location in Essex Junction, they’re having a great year. They attribute the abundance to their land, which used to be a field of grass.
“It’s one of the best crops we’ve had in the 23 years. We thought the drought there might have hurt us, but they say once pumpkin plants are established and they’ve pollinated, we’ve got some what they call virgin pumpkin land here,” said Mary Whitcomb.
Whitcomb says their new farm is less flood-prone, which was one of the reasons for their move. It opens to the public next Saturday, Sept. 20.
At Paul Mazza’s, they have a new pumpkin house for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
