Heavy rainfall during early to mid-summer didn’t just stymie the beach tourism in Delaware, it also heavily affected pumpkins and other vegetables in Sussex County.
Roland Pepper owns Mister Pepper’s Pumpkin Patch just outside of Laurel.
He says some of the typical varieties of pumpkins fared better than others, but specialty breeds got hit hard by the ceaseless rain.
“We’ve never seen this much water during the summer. I’ve never seen this. Most years, you know, it’s pretty dry. We have to irrigate,” said Pepper.
Phil Sylvester, a University of Delaware agent with the Kent County agriculture extension says that sort of moisture attacks sensitive vegetables where they’re most vulnerable.
“When you receive that amount of rain early in the season like that when the plant is trying to grow, with the root systems being compromised from excessive rainfall you can run into problems.”
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He notes it’s also a great environment for fungus to develop, finishing off pumpkins that weathered the rain.
Pepper says his pumpkin patch is still open for business though, with enough to serve customers. But a more bountiful harvest will have to wait another year.
Despite troubles in southern Delaware, farmers in the northern portion of the state say they’ve had little trouble growing the fall icon and markets say they haven’t had to turn to Pennsylvania crops to stock their shelves.
Eileen Willey of Willey Farms farm stand in Townsend says her nearby New Castle County supplier hasn’t experienced any of those problems in their pumpkin patch.
“They’ve been nice and dry. The stems have been firm. The pumpkins are firming up. We’ve had a beautiful selection and the harvesting has been incredible. No issues whatsoever,” said Willey
In prior years, Willey says she’s had to import pumpkins from Pennsylvania to stock her shelves, but hasn’t had to reach out this season.
Pumpkins and other fresh market vegetables brought in about $60.1 million during 2011, but only accounted for roughly 19 percent of all money earned from crops.
Corn, soybeans, wheat and others make up the bulk of agriculture in the First State, netting nearly $260 million in 2011.
