Pumpkin Patch Drought 2026: One Farm Lost Every Pumpkin and Closed, While the Farms That Bought In Pumpkins Kept Their Gates Open (The Backup Plan for Next Fall)
David Brown has grown pumpkins near Williamsburg, Virginia, for about 30 years. This fall, he had nothing to sell.
The Virginian-Pilot reported that the 2026 crop at his Bush Neck Farm simply failed. No pumpkins meant no pumpkin season. He closed the farm until next year and plans to plant again in 2027.
Across Hampton Roads, other farms had the same heat and the same dry sky, and very different autumns. One Virginia Beach grower saved only about 30% of his six acres. Other farms bought pumpkins in from elsewhere and kept their hayrides and mazes running.
Same drought. Three different outcomes. The difference wasn't luck. It was how much of each farm's fall income hung on one crop growing in one field.
The short answer The 2026 drought wiped out or shrank pumpkin crops from Virginia to Colorado, Texas and England. Farms whose whole season depended on their own pumpkins closed or cancelled. Farms with a backup pumpkin supply and attractions that don't need rain (hayrides, bale mazes, food, animals, events) kept their gates open. Build both before next summer, not after the crop fails. |
What the 2026 Drought Did to Pumpkin Patches
This wasn't one unlucky farm. It was a pattern that showed up on both sides of the Atlantic in the same season.
Virginia: the whole state, then a second hit in October
By late May, every part of Virginia was in drought on the US Drought Monitor, and it stayed that way through late June. By mid-July the state was about 8 inches short of normal rain and heading for its second-driest year on record. By August, USDA had given every Virginia county a drought disaster designation.
Southside Hampton Roads had only about three-quarters of its normal rainfall. Then, just as pumpkin season opened, the drought came back. In mid-September, Chesapeake and Suffolk showed no drought at all. By October 20, all of Chesapeake and almost all of Suffolk were back in it.
Colorado: a pumpkin patch that never got planted
Sonrise Farm in Severance, Colorado, should have opened its seventh pumpkin season this fall. Its ditch company warned that it couldn't count on any irrigation water in August, the month pumpkins need it most. So owner Theresa Schlagel decided not to plant rather than risk thousands of dollars on a crop that might never make it, Denver7 reported in June.
"This year is dramatically different," she said.
She made the right call. By August 11, about 93% of Colorado was in drought, and almost 80% of Weld County, home to Severance, was in extreme drought. A grower in nearby Ault, Rodney Anderson, planted anyway on well water and watched his wells strain. He told reporters it was "probably the worst I've ever seen in my life."
Texas: the whole crop died, and the farm stayed open
Western Belle Farm in West, Texas, is the story every pumpkin grower should study. Co-owner Taylor Huffman hand-planted 3,500 pumpkin seeds. Then the rain stopped. The town of West had only about 4 inches of rain from June to late September, KWTX reported.
As the family's three-quarter-acre stock tank ran low, they cut water to the flowers first, then to the pumpkins, and saved what was left for the corn maze they had paid $5,000 to have cut. The entire pumpkin crop died. So they trucked in pumpkins from other Texas farms, opened a new corn barn, kept the games and food going, and didn't raise admission.
In the High Plains, Texas's main pumpkin region, an AgriLife agent reported yields down 30 to 40%, even though all those acres are irrigated.
England: 1,000 seeds of one variety, one pumpkin
The UK had its hottest summer on record, according to the Met Office's provisional figures. At Rookery Farm near Thatcham, 24-year-old Eleanor Gilbert planted 1,000 seeds of one variety, Hot Chocolate, and harvested a single pumpkin. Her overall crop was about half its usual size. The dry weather hit her maize too, so she built a straw bale maze and opened anyway.
Here's how the farms in this story came out:
Farm | Where | What the drought did | What they did | Result |
Bush Neck Farm | Near Williamsburg, VA | Crop failed | Closed for the season | No 2026 season; replanting in 2027 |
Billy Conboy's farm | Virginia Beach, VA | About 30% of 6 acres saved | Sold what survived (mostly wholesale) | Small harvest |
Pumpkinville | Toano, VA | Two weeks of 100°F heat | Buys most pumpkins from the Shenandoah Valley; kept free admission, hayrides and maze | Open, prices unchanged |
Sonrise Farm | Severance, CO | No August ditch water | Didn't plant | Season cancelled |
Western Belle Farm | West, TX | About 4 inches of rain June to September; whole crop lost | Trucked in pumpkins; saved water for the maze | Open, admission unchanged |
Rookery Farm | Thatcham, England | Crop about 50% down; one variety gave 1 pumpkin from 1,000 seeds | Built a straw bale maze | Open |
Why Drought Hits Pumpkins So Hard
Pumpkins are thirsty, and they're fussy about heat at exactly the wrong moment.
Mississippi State Extension puts their need at about 1 inch of water a week early in the season, rising to as much as 2 inches a week in the 30 days before harvest. When plants wilt, the blossoms drop instead of turning into fruit.
Heat makes it worse. University of Delaware Extension found that days in the 90s°F with nights in the mid-70s or warmer make the plant drop female flowers and small fruit. Dry weather early on gives you more male flowers and fewer female ones, which means fewer pumpkins even when the vines look green.
Timing hurts too. The Virginia Beach grower planted on Father's Day. He got long dry, hot stretches, then two or three heavy downpours. In the end, only about 30% of the crop was worth saving.
"Groundwater is getting really low. Wells are struggling," a grower at Yoder Farms in Campbell County, Virginia, told WSET in September. Their pumpkins were holding on thanks to careful irrigation.
Reality Check A wet spring doesn't save you. Pumpkins decide your season in July and August, when fruit sets and sizes. If your water source can fail in August (a ditch, a pond, a shallow well), your patch can fail too. |
The Real Lesson: A Single-Crop Attraction Is a Weather Bet
About 85% of America's pumpkin acres grow fresh pumpkins for decoration and patches, not for pie filling, according to USDA's Economic Research Service. Most of those pumpkins are sold in a few weeks of fall.
That's where the danger sits. Cullipher Farm in Virginia Beach makes about a third of its entire year's income in roughly six weeks of pumpkin season, just 18 weekend days, WHRO reported. Bergey's Barnyard in Chesapeake earns about 30% of its year in the fall.
Now picture that third of your year riding on one field, one crop and one August.
"You can't charge anybody to walk through a maze that is flat," Mike Cullipher told WHRO last year.
He's right. And the same is true of a pick-your-own field with nothing to pick. The money in a pumpkin patch isn't really the pumpkin. It's the family day out: the ride, the maze, the cider, the photos, the feeling. Pumpkins are the reason people come, but the gate, the food and the activities are where the margin lives. Weather can take the pumpkin. It shouldn't be able to take the day.
This is the same lesson spring orchards learned the hard way after one frost night, which I covered in the weather backup plan every u-pick farm needs. And Australian farmers have a word for it, which I wrote about in how paying guests carried six family farms through drought: drought-proofing.
7 Moves That Keep Your Gate Open When the Pumpkins Fail
No. 1: Line up a backup pumpkin supplier before July
Pumpkinville in Toano, Virginia, grows about 2 acres and buys most of its pumpkins from the Shenandoah Valley every year. For them, buying in isn't an emergency. It's the plan. When two weeks of 100°F heat hurt local growing, they kept their prices the same and kept free admission, hayrides and the corn maze.
Western Belle Farm did the same thing in a hurry: when its crop died, it trucked pumpkins in from other Texas farms and stayed open.
How much does buying in cost? At the Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction on October 6, 2026, average prices per pumpkin ran from 43 cents for pie pumpkins to $2.40 for large ones. Most patches sell a large pumpkin for several times that, so a bought-in pumpkin can still earn you a margin.
Field-Tested Play In spring, call two or three growers or a produce auction and ask one question: "If my crop fails by mid-August, can you supply me with X bins of pumpkins, and at what price?" Write the answer down. You're not buying anything yet. You're buying peace of mind. |
Reality Check Freight eats margin. Pumpkinville's transport costs doubled with fuel prices this year. Price your backup supply including delivery, and read how one corn maze repriced for diesel before you set next year's tickets. |
No. 2: When water runs short, save the attraction first
Look at the order Western Belle Farm turned off its water: flowers first, then pumpkins, and the maze last.
That's smart triage. Pumpkins can be bought. A maze that sells tickets all season can't be trucked in. Their maze ended up only knee- or waist-high, but it was standing, and it sold tickets.
Ask yourself now, before the next dry summer: if I only had water for one thing, which one earns the most per gallon? For most patches, the answer is the attraction, not the crop. If you're planning a maze, my guide on how to start a corn maze shows why one well-run maze can out-earn the same acres as grain.
No. 3: Build attractions that don't need rain
Some of your fall money depends on the weather this summer. Some doesn't. The more of the second kind you have, the safer you are.
When drought hit Eleanor Gilbert's maize in England, she built a straw bale maze. Bales don't care about rain. Neither do hayrides, barnyard animals, a playground, a cider and donut stand, photo spots, or evening events. My list of 30 farm events by season, with real ticket prices is a good place to pick two or three that fit your farm. And if you already run rides, these ideas make your hayrides stand out.
No. 4: Sell the day, not the pumpkin
Briley's Farm Market near Greenville, North Carolina, got ready for a busy fall after 99 to 100°F heat, while parts of the state sat in exceptional drought. Its admission includes a pumpkin and a sunflower, plus a 10-acre maze and hayrides.
Notice what that does. The customer pays for the day. The pumpkin becomes a gift inside the ticket. Whether that pumpkin grew in your field or came from a neighbour's matters far less to the family than the hayride and the photo.
Here's a quiet fact that supports this. When USDA counted agritourism income in its 2022 Census of Agriculture, it came to $1.26 billion across 28,617 farms. Pick-your-own sales weren't even in that number; the Census counts them as direct sales. The visitor experience is its own business. Treat it like one.
For pricing help, see how to set entry fees and ticket prices and the upsells that can double your revenue without more visitors.
No. 5: Make a water plan before you plant
Penn State's pumpkin trials used drip irrigation under black plastic, delivering about 1 acre-inch of water a week. Careful irrigation kept Yoder Farms' pumpkins going, and the farm told WSET that drip tape can decide whether a pumpkin grows to full size. Layman Family Farms in Montvale, Virginia, added irrigation lines this year too.
Before you order seed, check three things. How much water can your well or pond really give in August? If you depend on a ditch or water shares, what did the water company deliver in your last dry year? And can mulch, plastic or a smaller, better-watered patch beat a big dry one?
Field-Tested Play Plant a smaller "showcase" patch close to your water and the parking lot, and buy in the rest. A small patch that looks great in photos does more for you than ten struggling acres nobody wants to walk through. |
No. 6: Set a go or no-go date and tell people early
Theresa Schlagel made her call before planting, before she had spent a dollar on seed. That's the discipline most farms lack. They keep hoping for rain until September and then scramble.
Pick a date, mid-July works for most patches, and check your crop against it. If you're behind, order backup pumpkins that week. Then tell your customers the truth in your posts and on your website. Families forgive a drought. They don't forgive driving an hour to a patch with nothing in it.
No. 7: Insure what can be insured, and know what can't
Federal programs can help with the pumpkins. They generally won't help with the gate.
Cover | What it protects | Key facts | The catch |
NAP (USDA FSA) | Pumpkin crop losses | Basic cover pays 55% of the average market price on losses over 50% of expected yield. Service fee $325 per crop, capped at $825 per county | You must apply before your state's closing date, often early spring. Fee waived for beginning, limited-resource, socially disadvantaged and qualifying veteran farmers |
Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (RMA) | Farm revenue from producing commodities | Covers 50% to 85% of revenue | Admissions, maze tickets and events likely don't count as insurable revenue. Ask your agent |
Micro Farm (RMA) | Small farms up to $350,000 approved revenue | Covers 50% to 90% | Non-farm sales like souvenirs are removed |
Private business or event cover | Gate income, events | Varies by insurer | Read the exclusions for weather and drought |
There's also disaster help. Every Virginia county now has a drought designation, which opens FSA emergency loans; you have 8 months from the declaration to apply. In Colorado, 33 counties including Weld and Larimer were designated, with an emergency loan deadline of December 7, 2026.
For the bigger insurance picture, read what agritourism insurance covers and what it costs and how to write a risk management plan for your agritourism business.
Questions to Ask Before Next Season
This isn't legal advice. These are the questions to put to your insurance agent, your accountant and your county office before you need the answers.
To your insurance agent: If I sell bought-in pumpkins at my patch or place them in the field, is that still covered as my farm activity? Does my policy cover a straw bale maze, including fire risk?
To your agent again: Does any part of my policy pay if drought forces me to cancel events or close early?
To your accountant: Do bought-in pumpkins I resell get treated differently for sales tax than pumpkins I grew? See agritourism and taxes: questions to ask your accountant.
To your county FSA office: What is the NAP closing date for pumpkins in my state? Is my county in a designated disaster area?
To yourself: If I cancel a school booking or a pre-sold ticket, what do my terms say about refunds? Does my state's agritourism law still protect me if the activity changes? See agritourism laws by state.
What My Durian Farm Taught Me About Weather Bets
On my farm, Bloopy Durians in Bentong, Malaysia, the trees decide the calendar, not me. Our durian seasons run only about four to five months a year, roughly December to February and June to August. Weather moves the fruit, and I can't move the weather.
So I learned early not to let the whole business hang on one harvest day. We keep a WhatsApp list of loyal customers who buy whenever durians are ready. We supply durians for corporate events. The fruit is the reason people come, but the relationships are what keep the income steady.
A pumpkin patch is no different. Own your customer list. Own your attractions. Then a bad summer becomes a bad crop, not a bad year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a pumpkin shortage in 2026?
Not a confirmed national one. ABC News reported that pumpkin production stayed decent overall, with plenty in southern Illinois balancing low yields in the north. But the shortfalls were real and local: Texas's main growing area down 30 to 40%, failed patches in Virginia and Colorado, and smaller pumpkins in England.
Why are pumpkins so small this year?
Heat and drought. Pumpkins need up to 2 inches of water a week before harvest, and very hot days with warm nights make plants drop flowers and small fruit. Stressed plants grow fewer, smaller pumpkins.
Can a pumpkin patch stay open without its own pumpkins?
Yes. Western Belle Farm in Texas lost its whole crop, brought in pumpkins from other Texas farms and stayed open without raising admission. Pumpkinville in Virginia buys most of its pumpkins every year.
Does crop insurance cover a pumpkin patch?
USDA's NAP program can cover pumpkin crop losses if you apply before your state's deadline. Whole-Farm Revenue Protection covers farm revenue from producing crops. Admissions, maze tickets and events are generally not covered, so ask your agent about separate business cover.
How much water do pumpkins need?
About 1 inch a week early in the season and up to 2 inches a week in the last 30 days before harvest, according to Mississippi State Extension.
When should I decide to buy in pumpkins?
Set a go or no-go date, usually mid-July. If your crop is clearly behind by then, order backup pumpkins that week, while growers still have stock.
Your Next Step
The farms that stayed open this fall didn't get more rain. They had a plan that didn't need it. Find out where your farm stands today.
P.S. David Brown will plant pumpkins again in 2027. When he does, the one thing worth adding is a plan that doesn't depend on the sky: a backup supplier on speed dial and one attraction that earns even if every vine dies. Start building yours this winter, while there's time. And if you're new to pumpkins, start with how to start a pumpkin patch.
Written by Stephen Loke of AgritourismSuccess.com, whose farm is featured in Bloomberg News and Asahi Shimbun. This article is for general information and is not legal, insurance or financial advice.
Sources
VDACS, USDA drought designations for Virginia localities, Aug 6, 2026
Denver7, drought cancels northern Colorado pumpkin patch, Jun 24, 2026
KOSI 101, drought forces cancellation of Colorado farm pumpkin patch season, Jun 17, 2026
Denver7, severe drought forces tough decisions for pumpkin growers, Jul 13, 2026
USDA FSA, 33 Colorado counties designated natural disaster areas, Apr 30, 2026
KWTX, Central Texas farm loses entire pumpkin crop, Sep 28, 2026
Farm Progress, drought takes its toll on Texas pumpkins, Oct 2026
Met Office, summer 2026 provisionally hottest on record for the UK
FreshPlaza, hot dry summer reduces UK pumpkin yields and fruit size, Oct 5, 2026
NationalWorld, UK pumpkin patches and summer drought, Oct 2, 2026
WJLA/WSET, September heat wave strains Virginia farms, Sep 2, 2026
WDBJ, farmers face rising costs as fall harvest season continues, Sep 27, 2026
NBC Palm Springs, eastern North Carolina pumpkin farms after a hot, dry summer, Sep 23, 2026
ABC News, pumpkin prices hit by extreme heat and diesel costs, Oct 7, 2026
USDA ERS, agritourism income in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Dec 5, 2024
University of Delaware Extension, heat and pumpkin fruit set
VDACS, Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction report, Oct 6, 2026
USDA FSA, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program fact sheet
USDA RMA, Whole-Farm Revenue Protection fact sheet, Aug 2024
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