Despite some struggles this summer, Texas pumpkin crops are in good shape, according to Matt Norton, owner of Fiddlesticks Farms in Midland.
“They’re looking pretty good. We did not have the fruit set this year as we would have liked. We had a lot of high heat and very little moisture,” Norton said in an interview with Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “Our pumpkins are a little on the smaller side, but still where we would like to have them.”
Norton said across the state, growers have had a fairly good year.
“There have been a lot of hail and wind storms and untimely rains. Everybody fought through them,” Norton said.
Growers fought through the obstacles, and now they’re reaping the harvest.
“Pumpkin harvests around Floydada and Hale County are coming off good. In talking with guys in the Midwest, they are going to have a real good pumpkin crop this year,” Norton said.
On Fiddlesticks Farms, harvest is starting for commercial pumpkins which will be sold to local produce outlets.
Starting Oct. 1, people will have the opportunity to go out to the West Texas location for a pick-your-own experience.
“When you can see that pumpkin growing on that plant and pick out your perfect pumpkin (off the vine), it makes a person realize how much effort goes into growing that plant,” Norton said.
It’s a way to bring consumers to the farm and to build connections with the farmer who grows their food, fiber and fuel.
“We’re making memories. We’re not just selling a pumpkin,” Norton said. “We want kids to go home and connect back to the farm and know there was a family farm that actually grew that pumpkin they took home that day.”