CALIFORNIA
Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®
TM
Pumpkin growers target trends, Halloween demand By Cecilia Parsons Alan Changala, left, who grows pumpkins in Tulare County, kneels next to a white specialty pumpkin called Porcelain Doll Improved, which he says he expects will be popular with customers of his pumpkin patch in Porterville. His farm grew 20 pumpkin varieties this year, including standard jack-o’-lantern types, right, with most of the crop going to wholesale markets.
From emergence to maturity, pumpkins typically require 90 to 120 days before they’re ready for harvest. As a result, farmers must carefully time their planting to ensure the crop is ready to meet demand during the fall holiday season. Growers targeting the autumn decorating and Halloween markets generally schedule plantings to maintain a steady supply through November. Perry said harvest continues through the end of October, with pumpkins going to retailers and wholesalers throughout the West. The farm also operates a farm stand near its headquarters. Danielle Ratto of Van Groningen and Sons in San Joaquin County said demand for California pumpkins may be up due to heat affecting other major pumpkin-producing states such as Illinois and Indiana. Anticipating strong demand, Van Groningen and Sons and its contract growers planted 1,650 acres of pumpkins this year, with yields expected to be about the same as last year, Ratto said. Harvest started just before Labor Day, a target date for when retailers like to have a good selection of pumpkins in their stores. Ratto said there has been increased demand during the past 10 years for “aesthetically pleasing” pumpkin varieties for decorating front porches. The farm plants new pumpkin varieties every year, she noted, and for the 2026 season, it has zebra stripe pumpkins, yellow mini pumpkins and a pumpkin variety that is almost black.
Colorful roadside pumpkin patches are a sure sign of fall’s arrival. Less visible from the road but significant in scale are the thousands of acres of commercial pumpkin fields that help make California one of the nation’s leading suppliers of fresh pumpkins. More than 5,000 acres of pumpkins are grown annually in California, with San Joaquin County remaining the center of the state’s commercial pumpkin production. The region sends an estimated 70% to 80% of the state’s pumpkin crop to market, where the pumpkins are sold for Halloween jack-o’-lanterns, fall décor and consumption. Favorable planting conditions and mild temperatures during bloom helped California pumpkin growers produce a quality crop with normal yields this year. As the pumpkins move to market, growers report few significant pest or disease issues. Art Perry of Manteca-based Perry and Sons, which began harvest Aug. 15, described his crop as “really nice,” with “gorgeous colors and strong, intact stems.” Intact stems are important, he said, not only because they serve as handles but also because they preserve the integrity of the pumpkin. “We only want them about four fingers tall,” he said. “Much more than that and they break off.” A woody, dried stem on a pumpkin is one sign of maturity. The multigenerational farm—one of the state’s largest growers and shippers of pump- kins—planted about 500 acres of the winter squash this year. Planting began in June and is staggered so that the crop can ripen at different times.
See PUMPKINS, Page 11
10 Ag Alert October 7, 2026
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