FLOYD COUNTY, TX – The 2024 growing season was good for Texas pumpkin producers, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert and pumpkin farmers. Yields and quality were up for most growers compared to last year.
Mark Carroll, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Floyd County, said this year’s pumpkin yields remained below average but improved over last season when output was down 20%-40% on average due to drought.
“We were lucky to have good rains around planting, but then part of July and most of August were extremely hot,” Carroll said.
Retail prices for pumpkins typically fluctuate week to week leading up to Halloween, but Carroll said there should be plenty to purchase throughout their annual peak demand. If you want to support local growers, Carroll said to look for stickers identifying “Texas grown” pumpkins when buying at a market, nursery, or pumpkin patch.
(written by Susan Himes, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension)
