Pumpkins Continued from Page 10
Perry said ornamental pumpkin vari- eties, particularly those with autumn col- ors, are in demand by retailers. Most of his pumpkins are the jack-o’-lantern carving type, with Magic Wand and Sunrise being popular choices. He said the farm also aims for different sizes with its Cannonball or Soccer Ball pumpkins. Virtually all California pumpkins are destined for the fresh and ornamental market, which includes pumpkins sold for decorative purposes and for direct consumption, according to the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture. In contrast, Illi- nois—the nation’s top pumpkin produc- er—devotes most of its pumpkin acreage to processing with pumpkin varieties that are intended for canning and pureeing. At Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheat- land, which has been in operation for 54 years, acres of U-pick pumpkins remain a cornerstone of its business, with almonds and forage crops rounding out its produc- tion. During Halloween season, the work- ing farm transforms into an amusement park-like destination with myriad attrac- tions, including field trips and an educa- tional component that teaches visitors how pumpkins are grown. “That was one of the reasons we started this agritourism offering,” Wayne Bishop said. “My mom wanted to see kids come to the farm and learn about agriculture, and we believed the pumpkins would be a good draw.”
In addition to jack- o’-lantern carving pumpkins, other decorative pumpkin varieties have seen increasing popularity during the fall season, including warty pumpkins, left, and those with different colors, far left.
One economic trend Bishop said he has noticed in his pumpkin patch business in recent years is that people are taking fewer pumpkins home with them. “We continue to see higher numbers of visitors but with fewer sales,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we switched to a flat price for three sizes of pumpkins and have a lot of $5 pumpkins.” Nearly all his pumpkins are sold directly to visitors who come to his fields to pick their own. That business runs through the second weekend of November. Since the start of harvest in August, Alan and Liz Changala, who operate Changa- la’s Pumpkin Patch in Porterville with their
daughter, Jamie, have been keeping work crews busy on their 60 acres of pumpkins. About 75% of the farm’s pumpkins are for wholesale markets, with the rest going to retail. In addition to wholesalers and re- tail stores, the farm sells to church groups and other pumpkin patches. The Changalas have been growing pumpkins since 1988 to complement their hay and grain farming. They planted 20 pumpkin varieties this year. Alan Changala said he consults with seed salespeople to gauge demand for specialty and standard jack-o’-lantern types. He said he expects Porcelain Doll Im- proved, a pearl-white specialty pumpkin
that’s new to his farm, to be popular with customers and that he will sell most of the colorful varieties. When the patch closes for the year and demand slows, all the left- over pumpkins are sold as feed for cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. Although favorable weather helped with crop quality and size, he said cucumber beetles that feed on pumpkin plant leaves and spread a virus that affects plant vigor remain a challenge. Gophers also invaded some of his pumpkin blocks, requiring ad- ditional pest control measures. Cecilia Parsons is a reporter in Tulare County. She can be reached at agalert@cfbf.com.
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