Pumpkins..

[C.Ann]

Does anyone know if there's going to be a shortage of canned pumpkin again this year?

How about fresh pumpkins - particularly in NY? I saw something with some pretty pathetic looking pumpkins on the vine on the Weather Channel, but by the time I turned up the volume to find out where it was they had moved on to another story..

Anyone know? Did you happen to plant pumpkins - and if so, are they okay?

Thanks!

 

[onelilspark]

Hopefully this article helps. It's from our local news


http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext/?nxd_id=204425

Perfect Pumpkin Crop

Fall is on its way.

That means cooler air, leaves changing color, and of course it's pumpkin season.

At Gro-moore Farms they say there hasn't been a pumpkin crop like this year's in about a decade.

It all has to do with the weather helping out one of this season's prime crops.

"They are perfect, they are huge this year," said Sheila Desimone, a pumpkin shopper.

"They are beautiful aren't they, they just have a great round shape," said Denise Coughlin, a pumpkin shopper.

"They are big, they are orange, and they got good color," said Jack Moore, co-owner of Gro-Moore Farms.

The pumpkins have people talking.

Jack Moore has picked plenty of pumpkins.

He says this is the first time in ten years his crop has been near perfect.

"We got them planted early, had a lot of rainfall, sized up nice, they are starting to color real nice and the handles on them are extremely sturdy and strong," said Moore.

Harvesting began last week.

You'll already find tons stacked up.

It's a surprise for many.

"I came yesterday and i was amazed that they are already out," said Desimone.

A surprise at the quantity, and the quality.

"I haven't seen ones those size in a long time," said Coughlin.

Moore says last weekend, he sold about 2,000 pounds of pumpkins.


At 39-cents per pound that's nearly $800.


Whether it's tall, round, or plump - there's still plenty more for the picking.

"There is a pumpkin for everybody," said Moore.

But how will pumpkin sales actually be?

Moore says that also will be dependent on the weather.

 

[KatieA]

I bought some canned pumpkin at our local grocery store last week. That is the first time they had it on the shelf all year so I bought it just in case. We also plant pumpkins in our garden every year. We don't give them any special care, as long as we get two pumpkins, one for each child, we are happy. We ended up with about 5 nice pumpkins and several smaller ones so the kids are happy.

 

[C.Ann]

Hopefully this article helps. It's from our local news


http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext/?nxd_id=204425

Great!!!! Looks like I'll be able to get my canned pumpkin too..

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

pumpkins are plentiful here. Harvesting has already begun which is a little early. But the pumpkins are a gorgeous color and the farm down the road has some beautiful white ones, they've never had that many white ones before.

 

[bballmom56]

I have over 350 small-medium sized pumpkins on our front porch! It was a very good year for them. DH planted some of the larger pumpkins too, but they did not fare as well. We are thinking the soil wasn't as good where they were. But the smaller variety did great!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

Hopefully this article helps. It's from our local news


http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext/?nxd_id=204425

Oh how I miss Gro-Moore!!!!!, especially at Halloween!

The articles here in Syracuse are saying the same thing. I had read somewhere there is still a shortage now, but it probably won't take long to get some on the shelves!

 

[LBIJim]

Does anyone know if there's going to be a shortage of canned pumpkin again this year?

How about fresh pumpkins - particularly in NY? I saw something with some pretty pathetic looking pumpkins on the vine on the Weather Channel, but by the time I turned up the volume to find out where it was they had moved on to another story..

Anyone know? Did you happen to plant pumpkins - and if so, are they okay?

Thanks!

I heard about this so-called canned pumpkin shortage last year so I investigated.

Pure BS. There was no shortage of canned pumpkin last year. Incompetent or inefficient ordering and distribution perhaps, but no shortage. All the supermarkets around here had plenty. Some had stacks of it with lots leftover after the holidays.

Didn't notice a shortage of fresh pumpkins either. The farm stands had 100s for sale. Looks about the same this year.

I guess you should stock up if you can in case your area experiences another fake shortage.

Jim

 

[golfgal]

What people have been saying around here is that while the pumpkin crop is good, it is getting ripe too soon and may not be around come Halloween. I don't know how long a pumpkin will keep after it is picked but I have been tempted to buy some now just in case?

 

[wdwmom2]

I heard about this so-called canned pumpkin shortage last year so I investigated.

Pure BS. There was no shortage of canned pumpkin last year.

I can tell you that no store around our town; Walmart, Kmart, Giant, Weis, Food Lion, none of them had any canned pumpkin this year!!!

I haven't looked for it this past month. I will be going to the store later today. I will have to check if the canned pumpkin is back in stock!

 

[LBIJim]

I can tell you that no store around our town; Walmart, Kmart, Giant, Weis, Food Lion, none of them had any canned pumpkin this year!!!

I haven't looked for it this past month. I will be going to the store later today. I will have to check if the canned pumpkin is back in stock!

I believe you....the TV news showed empty shelves at supermarkets. But I maintain that there was a distribution problem rather than a true shortage. Some areas of the country had an abundance of canned pumpkin while others had little or none. I confess I don't know if there was a legitimate or logical reason for this. Maybe certain markets/warehouses/distribution centers were hoarding it. Or the processors were only selling to certain places. But there was most likely enough pumpkin to go around if it was distributed evenly.

Around here all the markets had plentry. I didn't check Walmart/K-Mart/Target/BJ's. Even places like Dollar General and Rite Aid drugs had some.

Jim

 

[CF'er]

My Kroger finally got some in and I bought 3 cans.

 

[Nancy]

I believe you....the TV news showed empty shelves at supermarkets. But I maintain that there was a distribution problem rather than a true shortage. Some areas of the country had an abundance of canned pumpkin while others had little or none. I confess I don't know if there was a legitimate or logical reason for this. Maybe certain markets/warehouses/distribution centers were hoarding it. Or the processors were only selling to certain places. But there was most likely enough pumpkin to go around if it was distributed evenly.

Around here all the markets had plentry. I didn't check Walmart/K-Mart/Target/BJ's. Even places like Dollar General and Rite Aid drugs had some.

Jim

My store always had it too, never saw the empty shelves that others talked about. Of course I don't check every single time I shop because I don't walk down the baking aisle every week..but whenever I did it was there. I was even able to get some during the holidays last year.

 

[dawson5]

My mother in law makes Christmas money by making pumpkin rolls. She is in Ohio and could not find any. When she comes to visit, she always looks. She found an off brand (wasn't even a store brand) and tried it, didn't care for it. I don't know how, but that is another story. She looks for Libby's exclusively now. She also works part-time at a caterer/hall. They order from a few different places, she has tried unsuccessfully to get cans of pumpkin through them also.

She was up this past weekend and finally found some. She has a friend who works at Wal-Mart and told her they just got some in and it was flying off the shelves. So now they are storing it in the back (?!?). I guess they are doling it out instead of stocking the shelves. So after hearing that, she went back to the store she bought it from here and bought another three cans (this was after she had purchased six the day before). I don't know if it's a shortage or an ordering scofflaw, but we hadn't found it here or there in months. Usually they are stocked in the supermarket for over a month, didn't see that last fall. I think they only had them for a bit and it was never seen again.

ETA: We did have canned pumpkin before Thanksgiving, but afterwards it was scarce. She had orders at Easter time and none to be found then. She had me keeping an eye out every time I go to the store. I did look, maybe not religiously, but when I remembered it was never there.

 

[chamonix]

When it comes to growing pumpkins for producing canned pumpkin, Illinois is #1. So, the problem last year was that it was a terrible year for growing pumpkins in Illinois! So, across the country there were probably "distribution" problems due to it being in short supply. (just an aside, I farm in Illinois, but not pumpkins)

I think the Libbys plant is near Peoria, IL, and I agree, Libbys is best! . I use a lot of pumpkin, probably at least 3 cans a month, so try to stock up for the whole year in November when it's on sale for Thanksgiving. We love pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cakes, pancakes, dips, cookies, etc. (rarely in pie, go figure!) It's a great way to get an orange veggie and lots of fiber into the kids!

For anyone who is worried, it was a much better year for pumpkin farmers in Illinois, so there shouldn't be any shortage or distribution problems this year!

 

[wdwmom2]

I believe you....the TV news showed empty shelves at supermarkets. But I maintain that there was a distribution problem rather than a true shortage. Some areas of the country had an abundance of canned pumpkin while others had little or none. I confess I don't know if there was a legitimate or logical reason for this. Maybe certain markets/warehouses/distribution centers were hoarding it. Or the processors were only selling to certain places. But there was most likely enough pumpkin to go around if it was distributed evenly.

Around here all the markets had plentry. I didn't check Walmart/K-Mart/Target/BJ's. Even places like Dollar General and Rite Aid drugs had some.

Jim

Back from Food Lion, they now have canned pumpkin on the shelves. Called my friend who has been looking for it all year to see if she wanted me to pick her some up. She was at Giant yesterday and they also have it back in stock!!!!

All's good that ends good. Especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner!