Drought and heat hurt Roland pumpkin harvest at BoBrook Farms
Karen Bradford faced severe crop damage at BoBrook Farms in Roland due to heat and drought. The reduced harvest forced the business to order outside pumpkins to supply local customers this fall. Central Arkansas farmers reported smaller, unseasonably green pumpkins alongside delayed blooms this autumn.
Growers struggled to establish crops during the intense summer weather. Bradford noted that extreme daytime temperatures prevented plants from setting blooms properly.
“We planted them at the same time we always do, but we had to replant also because of the heat. It’s just been a hard year, a really hard year,” said Bradford.
The pumpkins matured late and remained smaller than usual. Bradford said BoBrook Farms still maintains pumpkins suitable for jack-o’-lanterns. The business plans to bring in additional supplies from larger out-of-state operations.
“We’re definitely going to have to bring more in than normal, so it’s just part of it,” said Bradford.
High temperatures also strained the irrigation supply at the Roland property. For the first time in the farm’s 32-year history, the lake started to run dry.
“We have a lake that we have never, ever had go dry that we irrigate out of. It got to the point where we had to start picking and choosing what we could irrigate because we’re running out of water,” said Bradford.
Crops required daily watering. Vines wilted directly against the ground under the sun. Bradford explained that pumpkin plants normally take 90 to 100 days to mature after planting in late July or early August.
Daytime heat created obstacles for the fields. However, high overnight temperatures in the summer caused the greatest damage to fruit production.
“Yes, it’s going to be hot in July and August, but once they get up, normally you get a break at night when it gets down to the 70’s and really sets the bloom, that’s where we missed out this year,” said Bradford.
BoBrook Farms chose to keep admission and pumpkin prices unchanged despite the crop loss. General admission remains set at $10. Bradford said the business wants families to enjoy an affordable outing.
“We want to still be able to provide for everybody, to be able to afford come out. (Admission)still just $10, we didn’t go up on our prices on our pumpkins either, so we just want the families to come out, have a good time, feel you can, you afford a little afternoon with the family,” said Bradford.
Commercial pumpkin patches rely on regular rainfall and moderate overnight temperatures during the development cycle. Extreme heat can disrupt pollination and lower field production for agricultural tourism destinations. Farm operators often manage irrigation reserves to protect seasonal harvests against summer dry spells.
The Roland farm continues to welcome guests throughout the season. BoBrook Farms is open to the public Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
