The Impact of Severe Weather Conditions on the United States’ Pumpkin Harvest This Year

Hudson, CO.—

From his northeastern Colorado pumpkin farm, Alan Mazzotti enjoys a sweeping view of the Rocky Mountains approximately 30 miles to the west. Last winter’s heavy snowfall was evident even from this distance, a fact he confirmed during a skiing trip with his family at Winter Park Resort.

However, despite a season of higher-than-average snowfall, the water reservoir that Mazzotti depends on for irrigating his pumpkin fields failed to replenish sufficiently. This spring, he was informed that his water allocation would be nearly half of what it was the previous year, compelling him to reduce his usual pumpkin planting by half. To make matters worse, unseasonable downpours in May and June created waterlogged conditions in the fields, inhibiting further planting efforts.

“By the time the rains began to impact our water reserves and everything else, it was simply too late for this growing season,” noted Mazzotti.

For numerous pumpkin farmers across states like Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado, this year’s harvest has underscored the broader water-related challenges affecting agriculture in the Southwest and West, which are exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change. This includes increased frequency of droughts and heatwaves. Some growers experienced yield reductions of more than 20%, while others, like Mazzotti, had to leave parts of their land fallow. Concurrently, rising labor costs and inflationary pressures are squeezing profit margins.

This year’s parched pumpkins serve as a stark representation of the dilemmas that irrigated farmers must repeatedly confront. They are forced to make difficult decisions concerning water quotas and electricity costs for pumping water, while deciding which crops are financially viable to cultivate during increasingly hot and arid summers.

Pumpkins are somewhat resilient to hot and dry conditions, but this year’s record-breaking heatwaves, with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), overwhelmed their tolerance. As Mark Carroll, a Texas A&M extension agent, observes, such weather conditions are beyond what even irrigation can compensate for. Additionally, pumpkins require cooler temperatures for successful harvesting and shipping, lest they begin to decompose prematurely.

High irrigation costs are further inflating farmers’ energy bills, which are now running into the thousands of dollars monthly. Lindsey Pyle, who operates a 950-acre pumpkin farm in North Texas, noted a rise in her energy costs alongside spikes in other expenses such as supplies and chemicals. Similarly, Steven Ness, who farms both pinto beans and pumpkins in central New Mexico, pointed out that dwindling groundwater supplies are affecting all farmers in the region. These water constraints influence what crops are cultivated, especially when crops like corn and pumpkins consume similar amounts of water but pumpkins offer higher financial returns.

In sum, the challenge of depleted aquifers remains an ongoing concern. “Our real problem is the lack of deep moisture and groundwater,” said Ness. Climate change is aggravating the issue, reducing the precipitation needed to replenish these water sources in the already arid Western United States.

Jill Graves, who integrated a pumpkin patch into her blueberry farm near Dallas, had to resort to purchasing pumpkins from wholesalers this year. Although the pumpkins she acquired rotted quicker than in previous years, it was still preferable to relying on her own meager harvest.

Mazzotti believes that the absence of sufficient water is a significant hurdle, but he considers labor to be an even greater challenge. While many crops can be harvested mechanically, pumpkins require manual labor, exacerbating the cost pressures. Additionally, a recent Colorado law mandating overtime pay for farm laborers has heightened these financial strains. Mazzotti describes the confluence of these challenges as a “no-win situation,” casting doubt on the future viability of pumpkin farming, at least in his family.

Walling reported from Chicago.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Extreme Weather Impact on Pumpkin Farming

More about Extreme Weather Impact on Pumpkin Farming

• AP’s Climate and Environment Coverage
• Water Scarcity and Agriculture
• Impact of Climate Change on Farming
• Legislation on Farmworker Overtime Pay
• Understanding Aquifer Recharge and Depletion
• Record-Breaking Heatwaves and Agriculture