Thanks to well-drained soils atop a high hill, a pumpkin crop in Shelton has ripened with flying (orange) colors.
With all the water that Connecticut has received in the last month, it is only fitting that Jones Family Farms is celebrating “Nautical Connecticut” as its annual theme in their pumpkin patch. While they will be spotlighting the fun things you can do on the water throughout the state, it is the water from the sky that has kept the farmers busy the past few weeks.
It has been widely reported in the news that many local farms have experienced lower pumpkin yields due to the incredible amounts of rain the state has received recently. The farmers at Jones Family Farms are grateful for their hilltop location and have relied on innovative growing methods and good ole fashioned ‘Yankee ingenuity’ to battle the rising tides.
“We use an amazing amount of natural mulch in our pumpkin fields”, said Terry Jones, 5th generation farmer and grower of pumpkins for the past 25 years. “Not only does it keep the produce off of the wet ground, but it provides a wonderful source of nutrients for the earth and a habitat for beneficial insects to help in the pollination process. That, along with many other techniques we have practiced over the past quarter of a century, has really helped us grow a good looking crop this year.”
“Growing over 50 varieties of squash, pumpkins and gourds is quite a daunting task”, said Jamie Jones, 6th generation farmer at Jones Family Farms. “We do it because we know that our guests enjoy the variety we can offer, and we are very proud of the fact that we grow all of the produce here ourselves.”
Pumpkin Picking at Jones Family Farm
Jones Family Farms is open daily at their Pumpkinseed Hill farm (120 Beardsley Road, Shelton) 10:00am to 5:30. Visitors will find the produce, mums, hayrides and more. On weekends, fresh baked cookies, cider and a corn maze are available.
Call the Farmer Jones hotline (203.929.8425) for daily information. You can also visit JonesFamilyFarms.com or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.