Plenty of pumpkins still available

With just two shipping weekends before Halloween, there is an abundant amount of pumpkins to be sold.

“We have experienced very moderate temperatures (high 70’s to low 80’s) this fall which has allowed for normal production of pumpkins in California,” Ryan Van Groningen, president of Van Groningen & Sons Inc., said in a news release. “With the exception of Oct. 3 when we received 2 to 3 inches of rain in a 45-minute span, our fall has been dry which is quite normal for us.”

Ample supplies of the “carving type orange jack o’lanterns” will be available through Halloween, according to the company, Manteca, Calif.

“As a grower, estimating how many pumpkins are left to be harvested in the field is an extremely important role to make sure you cover all of your customer’s needs while not leaving pumpkins in the field that will go unsold after Halloween,” Van Groningen said in the release.

The company has received many requests for donated pumpkins, he said, and with the abundant crop, it’s been able to donate to schools, churches and non-profit organizations and still meet retail orders.

Van Groningen & Sons Inc. will be exhibiting at booth No. 3884 at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit Oct. 19-20 in Orlando, Fla.