US (CA): Agritourism operations deal with lack of water
Patronage to Single Palm Pumpkin Farm in Fresno County remains strong, farmer Troy Spencel said, but this will be his last year doing the pumpkin patch. That his two daughters are grown up and leaving the farm factored into the decision to close, but uncertainty about the future of the state's water supply made the decision easier, he added.
His pumpkin production was hurt, particularly in outer rows of the field, where some of the crop had sunburn damage and pumpkin sizes were 70 percent of normal. To provide shade and help retain moisture in the ground, he planted his rows closer together and periodically moved the vines to cover the pumpkins. Because nights in the Central Valley don't get cool enough, he said, the pumpkin shells don't get hard, making them more susceptible to sunburn.
Water deliveries from the Fresno Irrigation District were shut off in July, he noted, forcing him to pump more groundwater, which increased his production costs.
"We only charge $5 a pumpkin, any size, so I'm not making much money already to start with," he said. "With the cost of running a pump, I'll be lucky to break even."
Spencel said he's considering planting almonds and switching to a drip system after he closes the pumpkin patch, but he may have to wait until next year to plant the new orchard if this fall does not bring a brighter water outlook.
Penny Leff, agritourism coordinator for the University of California Small Farm Program, said some farms may be relying more on their pumpkin patches and seasonal agritourism businesses this year because yields on other crops may be down or lost due to drought.
Agritourism in the state continues to grow, she noted. In 2012, 1,699 farms reported income from agritourism, compared to 685 in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Income from agritourism also rose in the state—from $34.9 million in 2007 to $64.5 million in 2012.
For David Vierra, who operates Dave's Pumpkin Patch in Yolo County, the start of the season has been "a bit slow," he said, adding that with summer temperatures lingering, "people really aren't in a fall mood."
Because his farm is on the northern edge of the Sacramento Delta, Vierra said he had "ample water" for his crops, but noted that even though pumpkins are deep-rooted plants and "don't require a tremendous amount of water" to grow, more irrigation was needed this year because groundwater levels have dropped.
He's also selling more pumpkins for wholesale—the majority of his business—because of reduced acreage and production elsewhere in the state, he said.
"We're definitely seeing increased sales on the wholesale side and buyers that we haven't heard from in a while, because they can't find pumpkins from their normal suppliers," Vierra said.
Source: agalert.com
