Starbucks and Peanuts™ celebrate fall with a global merchandise collection inspired by ‘The Great Pumpkin™’ - Starbucks

The second-generation southwestern Ontario farmers have carved out a niche in ornamental pumpkins, gourds and corn, seasonal crops that decorate tables on Thanksgiving and porches on Halloween. But the cost of getting a mini orange pumpkin or tiny green gourd from their farm in St. Thomas to stores across Canada and the United States ahead of the autumn holidays has surged. “We’re not impacted by tariffs but the trade issues are still ratcheting up costs for us across the board,” said Patrick Butters, who owns and operates the roughly 2,200-hectare farm with his brother Christopher. “We’ve been seeing incremental increases all season long.”Butters Farms offers a window into how trade tensions and geopolitical issues can ripple through the economy. Story continues below advertisement Higher freight, packaging and diesel costs are putting added pressure on farmers’ thin margins, while limited room to raise prices means producers are often left absorbing some of the increase. In addition to ornamental crops and pie pumpkins for eating, Butters Farms grows soybeans, wheat, butternut squash and sweet and field corn, which account for about 90 per cent of the farm’s acreage.

AtlanticNova ScotiaNew BrunswickPrince Edward Island Newfoundland and LabradorCalgaryLethbridgeKitchenerGuelphNorthern OntarioSudburyNorth BaySault Ste. MarieTimminsOttawaKingstonBrockvillePembrokeReginaYorktonSaskatoonPrince AlbertTorontoWatchWeatherPeelHamiltonDurhamYorkHaltonNiagaraQueen's ParkToronto City HallIn PicturesVancouverVancouver IslandCanadaLocal SpotlightRoyal FamilyPoliticsNanosPower PlayQuestion PeriodFederal Election 2025WorldMideast ConflictRussia-Ukraine WarWatchLatestCaptured on CameraPoliticsLifestyleConsumerHealthExplainedEntertainmentTechnologyDeception DecodedAutosEnvironmentBusinessInflationReal EstateAutos

AtlanticNova ScotiaNew BrunswickPrince Edward Island Newfoundland and LabradorCalgaryLethbridgeKitchenerGuelphNorthern OntarioSudburyNorth BaySault Ste. MarieTimminsOttawaKingstonBrockvillePembrokeReginaYorktonSaskatoonPrince AlbertTorontoWatchWeatherPeelHamiltonDurhamYorkHaltonNiagaraQueen's ParkToronto City HallIn PicturesVancouverVancouver IslandCanadaLocal SpotlightRoyal FamilyPoliticsNanosPower PlayQuestion PeriodFederal Election 2025WorldMideast ConflictRussia-Ukraine WarWatchLatestCaptured on CameraPoliticsLifestyleConsumerHealthExplainedEntertainmentTechnologyDeception DecodedAutosEnvironmentBusinessInflationReal EstateAutos