Understand
How pumpkin-picking is helping to boost profits and save farms
Overview
The growing popularity of pumpkin-picking during Halloween has become a vital source of income for many farms, helping businesses diversify and boost their takings. Farms like Over Farm in Gloucester report that a third of their annual turnover is generated during the Halloween period, driven by social media trends, family traditions, and a desire for direct-from-farm produce.
Key points
- Halloween has become one of the busiest and most significant periods of the year for many farms, with Over Farm generating about a third of its turnover during the season.
- The pumpkin-picking craze is driven by people wanting to spend time together, buy directly from farmers, and create social media content.
- Over Farm introduced pumpkins in the 1990s after a visit to America, gradually building up its offering from around 1,000 visitors to 35,000 visitors by last October.
- The National Farm Attractions Network notes that pumpkin patches have evolved from a simple field and wheelbarrow into major, high-footfall seasonal businesses that aid farm survival.
- Despite challenges from an extremely hot growing season requiring early irrigation, farms continue to successfully cultivate multiple varieties of pumpkins and squashes.