VANDERBURGH CO., IN (WFIE) -
All a pumpkin crop needs is less than an inch of rain, but this season that didn't happen, and Goebel Farms in northern Vanderburgh County says there's a good chance that instead of selling thousands of pumpkins and gourds, they'll be sending none.
This time last year, Coastal farmers were contacting farmers right here in the Tri-State for wholesale pumpkins because of our plentiful crop. This year, the situation is completely the opposite.
"Last year, it was too much rain. It was too saturated. We almost had to mud them out but they came up and grew," said Larry Goebel with Goebel Farms.
Goebel has grown pumpkins since the 60's. He says he's never seen it this dry.
"I don't have a pumpkin crop right now. We planted them early in perfect conditions but it's just too dry. They aren't going to come up."
You may think a simple solution to the problem would be to water the pumpkins, but when you farm 37 acres, it's simply too expensive.
"They almost have to come up on their own. I have no way of irrigating them," Goebel told us.
Goebel says you'd be amazed how little rain it takes to grow pumpkins.
"An inch would be nice to get them up."
So, the fact that he hasn't been able to grow any, shows just how dry the ground really is.
"Pumpkins are a dry land crop basically. They don't need a lot of rain. In fact, they do better when you don't get a lot of rain but they need some. At this location, we've only gotten 1.4 inches of rain since April the 14th. Everything else hasn't been measurable."
He says worst case scenario, "If we don't get rain by July 20th, I don't think we'll have pumpkins. It'll really set us back."
Goebel says just half an inch of rain in the next few weeks could make a difference.
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Goebel has grown pumpkins since the 60's. He says he's never seen it this dry.
