Pumpkin harvest not affected by this year's drought

MELBOURNE, Ky. - If you haven’t selected a Halloween pumpkin yet, now’s the time to do it. There are plenty to choose from because pumpkins are one of the few crops unaffected by this year’s drought. 

Hot temperatures and drought caused problems for many food crops this year, such as corn, but one crop that’s done extremely well is pumpkins.

9 News visited Neltner’s Farm in Melbourne, Ky., where co-owner Kevin Neltner said the drought helped the crop.

“A drought year is actually, for us, is easier to manage because we’re capable to have the irrigation," Neltner said. "We can water when we need it. On a wet year, you get a lot of extra disease in your crops and you can’t take the water away from them.”

Too much moisture means more mildew and rot in the pumpkins, but that’s not what is occurring at Neltner’s Farm in Northern Kentucky. In fact, Neltner said that this year’s biggest pumpkin was 54 pounds, much larger than last year’s biggest at 38 pounds.

“I believe that September, if you look back, was a very wet month and I believe that pumpkins got a lot of extra moisture in them and most of your pumpkins are 90 percent water, so that had a lot to do with the heavy weight,” Neltner added.

After a successful harvest this year, Neltner’s Farm has all shapes and sizes to choose from. Neltner has some great advice on picking that perfect pumpkin.

“When you’re looking for a pumpkin, you want a good solid, fairly heavy pumpkin," he said. "That means that it’s full of meat and is in good condition. You always like to have a nice, green stem so that it will last through Halloween.”

At Neltner’s Farm, it’s the last weekend to attend its Fall Fest. They’re expecting a big crowd for that last pumpkin push before Halloween. It includes plenty of activities and attractions like vendors, music, horse-drawn wagon rides and, of course, the pumpkin patch .People who can't visit the farm this weekend can expect some discounted pumpkins later at the farm.

To get more information on Neltner’s Farm, visit its website: http://neltnersfarm.com/

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