EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. - Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow says this year’s pumpkin business is going very well.

From sugar pumpkins for cooking or baking to ones tailored for carving, owner John Burney says their are plenty of options for customers.

"It's a decent pumpkin crop this year," Burney said. "It's been a very dry fall with beautiful weather as you all know. So that's assisted in the pumpkin harvest and the quality of the pumpkins look very good." 

The family-owned farm has been around since 1990.

Burney said the weather in recent years has created challenges for the farm.

"The dry weather is a benefit for the pumpkins," he said. "We had two previous years where it was very wet and we lost a lot of the pumpkin crop so a dryer season is actually better for the pumpkin season."

Burney said the farm which spans several hundred acres grows a variety of other vegetables including squash, eggplants, and tomatoes.

But the pumpkin crop alone was around one-third of the harvest this year. So it's been great for business.

"Well, as you know, kids love pumpkins. So it brings the customers out and extends your season a little bit longer," he said. "We finished up with tomatoes and sweet corn about 10 days ago. So this continues the season with the fall decorating items."

Burney said the first half of the month in particular is usually very busy with the second half being more steady.

"Well, it's on the downhill for decorating," he said. "People typically buy the mums and corn stocks and decorating items the first two weeks of the month and then now it's pretty much just exclusively pumpkins."

Burney said the farm will close for a few weeks after Halloween before reopening the weekend before Thanksgiving with Christmas trees.