By Clint Thompson
Pumpkin season is nearing its end for North Georgia producer Drew Echols, owner of Jaemor Farms. It’s been a strong season for growers like Echols.
“Everything this year has been super, really good. We had a three-week really hot spell this summer, and it was kind of inopportune as far as, pumpkins don’t like hot weather when it comes time to set fruit,” Echols said. “We had three weeks of hot weather that was abnormally hot for us… It was a little bit warmer than we would have liked in the wrong time of year. Early fruit set was good, but it wasn’t great. This second picking right here was probably the best I’ve ever seen. It cooled down a little bit, a few degrees. We cooled down just enough to get this second crop set really nice. Barns are full.
“We’re not having any trouble selling them. Demand is good.”
Echols’ pumpkin crop encountered multiple periods of prolonged dry spells, including the current period. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Northeast Georgia is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, which is positive for pumpkin production.
“Now we’re in a dry spell, very, very dry. But that’s good for right now,” Echols said. “No disease pressure, really. Temperatures are starting to cool down. We’ve got really good color on all of the fruit.”