How pumpkin-picking is helping to save farms - BBC

15 hours agoRachel CandlinandChristopher Mace, West of EnglandRees KeeneOver Farm said around a third of its income came from HalloweenAnd for many farmers it is a humble, but very photogenic, seasonal crop which is helping to boost their takings. The craze for pumpkin-picking - whether for a spooky decoration or to make into a heart-warming soup - means this heroic vegetable has become a regular crowd-pleaser. Rees Keene, from Over Farm in Gloucester, said the trend for pick-your-own pumpkins during Halloween had become one of their most important sources of income. More from GloucestershireHe said there had been "big increases" year on year with about 35,000 visitors to the farm last October. "We do a third of our turnover on the farm over Halloween, so it's a very significant period of the year for us," he said. As more farms have offered pumpkin picking, many have taken it up as an annual tradition. "It's definitely got a lot busier and more popular than when we first started," said Emily Thomas-Williamson, from Portskewett, Monmouthshire, who has been pumpkin picking at Halloween every year since 2021.