B.C. farmers say droughts could have impact on future pumpkin supplies

September isn’t over yet, but spooky season is just around the corner and pumpkin patches in the Lower Mainland are facing drought-related complications as they prepare for locals to find their perfect Halloween pumpkin.

Some pumpkin patches might not be able to keep as much stock, as many parts of B.C. were struck with a drought for most of the summer

Hazelmere Pumpkin Patch owner Shari Tompe tells CityNews she’s happy with her crops this season, but admits drought conditions are still cause for concern for local farmers.

“Water issues are becoming more and more of a concern as these summers are getting longer and hotter and extending into September and October,” she said.

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Tompe says that, despite having a good year, she’ll still need to add to what she has in stock.

“We have so many people that come, we have to purchase pumpkins to supplement our own fields,” she said. “That’s another water resource that other farms are using to grow those pumpkins that we still need.”

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Meanwhile, Westham Island Herb Farm owner Sharon Ellis says the drought conditions have brought on more irrigation work, increasing the farm’s overall costs in the process.

“We ran out of water a little quicker than normal … some crops were definitely hit harder than others,” she said.

Ellis adds there’s quite a bit of pressure on pumpkin farmers to have a good crop because of the amount of business harvest events bring in, but says she isn’t concerned about her crops heading into prime pumpkin season.