Autumn is here and as usual, Whatcom County offers an abundance of pumpkin patches perfect for fall visits. But unusual weather patterns meant that extra work went into producing pumpkins now being picked from local patches.
Debi Gavette, co-owner and manager of Stoney Ridge Farm in Everson, said that while the farm had a bountiful harvest, it took more work and more resources to get there. Due to such a dry summer, a lot of crops needed supplemental water.
“It was more work for the same crop,” Gavette said, adding that growers without access to irrigation would’ve had a much tougher year.
From left, Katie, Abigail, Jessica, Levi, Evelyn and Theo take a tractor ride around Stoney Ridge Farm on Oct. 7. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Stoney Ridge Farm typically plants its pumpkins in May, Gavette said, but had to plant three weeks later this year because workers had to wait for the ground to warm up before planting the seeds.
Gavette said that had the farm planted on a normal schedule, they would’ve ended up with rotting seeds, something Gavette noticed in some people’s personal gardens.
Despite the late start, Stoney Ridge Farm’s pumpkin crop was ready in time for the business to open in late September. Gavette attributes this to the number of hot days Whatcom County experienced over the summer, which accelerated the growing process.
Even with the challenges, Gavette has a sense of pride and accomplishment when watching a kid hand-pick one of the farm’s pumpkins.
“We grow our own, we raise our own and there’s something really satisfying about knowing that even in difficult times, you’re able to produce a crop,” Gavette said.
While the weather hardly affected the end products in the pumpkin patch, it did lead to some less-than-perfect apples in Stoney Ridge Farm’s orchard.
“We always say bees are unionized,” Gavette said, “They only work under safe conditions.”
Stoney Ridge Farm has two turkeys named Tim and Tom. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Gavette describes these safe conditions as not rainy, not windy and at least 60 degrees. Due to such a cold and rainy spring, there weren’t as many bees out pollinating. This, coupled with the coolness and rain leading to some trees getting scab infections, made for some unsightly apples.
“It doesn’t make the fruit trees die, it just makes fruit not as pretty,” Gavette said, adding that ugly apples aren’t too much of a concern, as they still make very good apple cider.
Down south, Schuh Farms in Mount Vernon struggled to get all the crops enough water with the lack of typical rainfall. Aside from the squash, the farm struggled to water berries, corn and cucumbers with one irrigation gun and one sprinkler system.
Schuh Farms owner Jen Schuh said the large pumpkins they harvest typically weigh 50 pounds or more, whereas this year the cream of the crop are hovering around 30 pounds due to the lack of adequate irrigation.
Despite their size, the pumpkins on Schuh Farms have also benefited from the heat-accelerated growing process, as their patch is full of bright orange pumpkins.
Though more work and resources went into this year’s planting, both Schuh and Gavette are satisfied with their patches, and the smiles they bring.
“That’s agriculture,” Gavette said. “We’re always dealing with variables we have no control over. But at the end, people still come, and they still enjoy the farm.”
