'Summer drought made our pumpkins smaller'

As Halloween approaches, families are taking advantage of the October half term to stock up on pumpkins for the spooky season.

But at one Worcestershire farm, despite a "really great season" and its largest ever patch spanning 4.5 acres (1.8 hectares), the pumpkins themselves were smaller than usual

Gillian Kerton, who runs Churchfields Farm Park near Droitwich, said the weather had initially been good until the dry and hot summer.

"The actual pumpkins themselves, they grew really well early on because we had that very wet spring," she told BBC Midlands Today.

"We usually have to water them to get them going but we didn't have to do that this year. Then of course, after they got going, it dried up.

"We still have loads of pumpkins, they're just not very big."

Pumpkins need plenty of moisture to grow so, once the dry weather set in, that slowed. A drought was later declared in Worcestershire.

Despite this, Kerton said they were "pretty good" and visitors to their patch were happy with them.

Asked why they were so popular, she said they had become "Instagrammable", adding that the farm had introduced props to give visitors photo opportunities.

She added: "I think from a parent's point of view, it's getting the kids out in the fresh air and it gets them away from the screens for a few hours. It's a wholesome activity."

Kerton said their popularity meant October, particularly half term, was a busy time, especially with many of her younger staff back at university.

"It is a crazy month," she added. "It's all hands to the pump with everybody, everyone has to multitask."

And while the farm has been affected by the cost of living crisis too, Kerton said it was important for them to keep the prices low.

"We're very conscious that you can buy a pumpkin at your local supermarket for less than we can grow them for here," she said.

"We just try to keep it reasonable so, when people come here, they don't feel like they're being ripped off and they can just have a nice day out."

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