With a late Labor Day (Sept. 7) this year, Butch’s Best of Capac, MI shipped it first loads of pumpkins in late August. Shipments typically begin around Labor Day.
The broker/distributor/fresh cut packer has over 18 pumpkin growers in eight states and Canada growing a variety of pumpkins including regular pumpkins, heirlooms, ornamental, pie pumpkins and a painted pumpkin program, most of which run through the end of October. It also has Delicata squash which goes until December. The company also ships a number of other vegetables.
An unknown this year is how many pumpkins there are scattered across many regions due to drastic weather differences. Some areas like Indiana got 10-12 inches of rain and parts of it and Ohio got 90 mile per hour winds. It was a very perfect growing season for everyone and then it got really wet in a lot of places. By contrast some regions were dry. For example, parts of Michigan and New York were pretty dry.
Meanwhile Texas had weeks of extreme heat this summer, while those other growing regions were dealing with that excessive rain, flooding, high winds and hail. For this reason Butch’s Best has diversified its suppliers to be from eight states and Canada.
This all comes amidst an already challenging growing year following freezes in Florida and heat in the Midwest, the Northeast and California. That’s pushed numerous crops out too fast.
Storms and flash flooding across central Ohio in late August caused losses for pumpkin growers ahead of the state’s autumn picking season.
Pumpkin patches across Ohio are preparing for the picking season, which generally starts during the first half of September. Some growing areas experienced heavy rainfall, winds, flooding, and crop losses during the storms.
Sam’s Pumpkin Patch in Pickerington lost around 50 per cent of its pumpkin crop to flooding. The farm covers 20 acres (8.1 hectares) and primarily grows pumpkins and gourds. The company has contacted other growers with available supplies to avoid closing for the remainder of the season.
Other pumpkin-growing areas were less affected. Lehner’s Pumpkin Farm in Radnor received heavy rainfall, but its crop avoided wind damage.
Overall, U.S. pumpkin shipments got off to a strong start this season.