By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Although it’s too early to have any statistics, this year’s pumpkin economics appear to favor Michigan and other pumpkin growing states that are not in the Northeast.

So far there’s no indication that there’s anything seriously wrong with the pumpkin harvest in Ohio, Indiana or Illinois. For pumpkin growers in New England, however, it’s another story.

They are on the losing end of this equation because Mother Nature has drowned out much of their crop. Gary Lucier, an agricultural economist at the USDA, said he knows that Massachusetts, for example, has received far too much rain for a good pumpkin harvest. He said his father lives there and his garden was washed out by the downpour.

Other recent anecdotal reports from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) provide a glimpse of conditions for those who grow and sell pumpkins. For the week ending Sept. 20, the Michigan NASS office reported early pumpkin harvest had started in some fields, with other growers reporting their pumpkins needed more time to mature. NASS’ Sept. 13 report stated “pumpkins were developing at a good rate this week.”

In Connecticut, on the other hand, Ross Eddy – a Farm Service Agency (FSA) employee – reported grimly for the week ending Sept. 20, “pumpkin harvest where they can be found.” In Franklin, Maine, FSA employee Gary Raymond reported that “squash will be scarce and pumpkin harvest will be below average.”

Still, conditions vary from place to place. FSA employee Trudy Soucy reported from Lincoln, Maine, that “fall is almost here and thus far, the weather has been beautiful … With harvest just under way, the pumpkin crop appears to be fair …”

Last week Lucier said pumpkins from Michigan and Canada were showing up for sale in Boston.

“Jack-O’-Lantern pumpkins from Canada are priced about the same as last year,” he said. “There’s been enough supply from outside to moderate the prices.”

Lucier said this is bad for local growers in New England, who need higher prices in order to make up for their small harvest. Yet this is really nothing new, he said; it’s just magnified somewhat this year.
Other parts of the country are probably experiencing a larger-than-normal harvest and New England is getting a lot of rain and has an especially small harvest. He added that New England tends to have pumpkins shipped in anyway, because the area is so populous local growers can’t meet the demand by themselves.

Rose Timbers, manager of Wiard’s Orchards in Ypsilanti Township, Mich., said her pumpkin harvest is just fine this season. She has a U-pick pumpkin patch.

“We have a nice crop of pumpkins this year,” Timbers said. “People love to go out in the fields and pick their own pumpkins. I think they’re even more popular than pick-your-own Christmas trees.”
Timbers said pumpkins aren’t as much of a hassle as trees, and that even if they make a mess it doesn’t matter as much because they are kept outside. She also said people love to carve and decorate their pumpkins. Wiard’s Orchards sells pumpkins for $2-$7, depending on size.

Published on Oct. 7, 2009