Those looking to buy pumpkins for Halloween next month should expect the selection to be slimmer and prices to be higher due to all the heavy rains lately.
‘We will have pumpkins we’re just not sure yet what we’re going to pay for them,? said Paul Forte, owner of Harvest Time Farm Market in Oxford.
Southeast Michigan was slammed by a heavy rainfall between Friday and Sunday caused by moisture from Tropical Storm Lowell and remnants of Hurricane Ike. Ortonville reported the most rain, a total of 6.06 inches in 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
Clarkston was soaked by 5.68 inches, Pontiac reported 5.20 inches, Lapeer got 4.15 inches and Goodrich measured 4.16 inches of rain.
All this moisture is not good for pumpkins because it kills their vines, preventing them from ripening, Forte said. Excessive rain also hurts other crops like tomatoes.
‘A lot of the farmers that we deal with are in Macomb County and two of them that we know of for sure got flooded out all together. They’re all done,? Forte said.
Rural areas of Macomb like Richmond and Armada received 5.77 inches and 5.60 inches of rain, respectively.
Ironically, Harvest Time’s usual pumpkin supplier, a farmer in Lapeer, ‘lost his whole crop? prior to this past weekend because of excessive rains in his area.
‘Disease set in from too much water,? Forte said.
Unfortunately, many other farmers are now in the same boat. ‘Because of this weekend, there’s a whole lot more people in trouble now,? Forte said.
Forte said it’s hard to say right now how much pumpkin prices will rise because ‘we don’t know the scope of the damage yet? or how limited the supply is going to be.
Despite this bad news, Forte is determined to make sure his customers have pumpkins to carve for Halloween.
‘I don’t know where we’re going to get’em (from), but we will have pumpkins for sure,? he promised.
The heavy rains didn’t cause many problems in the Oxford area this past weekend.
Local police and fire departments reported no increase in activity due to the weather, however, the Oxford Village DPW was needed to pump out standing water from downtown’s southwest parking lot.
State Farm Insurance Agent Don Sherman reported about 10 claims related to water damage ranging from leaking roofs to water in the basement.
‘When the ground becomes completely saturated with water, there’s no place (else) for it to go,? Sherman said.
Staff Writer Richard Zowie contributed to this story.