MANTECA, CA – With the year that we have all had, we could all use something to look forward to. For us at Van Groningen & Sons, that is the pumpkin season. The change of weather, the busyness of the harvest season in our small farming town, watching the skyline change as crops are harvested – it puts you in a different frame of mind after a long, hot summer.
We anticipate this season to be one for the record books. Harvest is looking to be on the early side due to practically perfect growing conditions this season. We are expecting a bumper crop on our medium carving and pie sized pumpkins, as well as our some of our heirloom varieties and gourds. We headed out to the field to gain some perspective from our Plant Health Manager, Tommy Van Groningen. “Most of the reason for the bumper crop is the temperature. The heat did not cause many blossoms or young pumpkins to burn off. The bees were also working most of the day since it never got too hot. The cool nights allowed the plants to “breathe” or properly respire so they weren’t sending all their energy to just survive. They were able to spend more of the inputs on producing a crop.” says Tommy.
We expect this year to be strong for sales. With most children distance learning and many parents working from home, we believe this will lead to more pumpkin home-based activities and increased decorating to give a sense of normalcy.
To learn more about our company and to view our completely revamped 2020 pumpkin and harvest décor catalog, please visit our website at www.vgandsons.com.
“And all at once, summer collapsed into Fall” – Oscar Wilde
All the best,
Carolyn Burtis
Van Groningen & Sons, Inc.
