Fall is in full swing in Rock County, evidenced by people flocking to pumpkin patches and the season attractions built around the crop on some area farms.
At the tail end of a year-long drought, many pumpkin patches and fall-themed businesses have seen varying levels of crop production. Farmers are bracing for a high demand for the orange winter squash bound to be carved into countless jack-o’-lanterns.
kAmpE $<6==J’D u2C> |2C<6E :? y2?6DG:==6[ $4@EE $<6==J C6A@CE65 92G:?8 2 DF446DD7F= 72== 92CG6DE 2?5 2?E:4:A2E6D 2 D:8?:7:42?E EFC?@FE 3J A6@A=6 G:D:E:?8 9:D AF>A<:? A2E49] %9:D E:>6 @7 E96 J62C :D <6J E@ 9:D 3@EE@> =:?6[ 2D ~4E@36C :D A62< AF>A<:?\3FJ:?8 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 3FD:?6DD E92E C6G@=G6D 2C@F?5 E96 w2==@H66? 9@=:52J[†96 D2:5] “u@C FD[ @FC AC:>2CJ E9:?8 :D AF>A<:?D]â€k^Am
kAm$<6==J’D 92CG6DE E9:D J62C H2D C6=2E:G6=J F?27764E65 3J E96 5C@F89E 2D 9:D :CC:82E:@? DJDE6> 4@>A6?D2E65 7@C C2:? 567:4:ED] qFE :7 96 925?’E :CC:82E65[ 5CJ >@?E9D 2C6 36?67:4:2= 7@C 8C@H:?8 AF>A<:?D 3642FD6 E96 =24< @7 DE2?5:?8 H2E6C <66AD 5:D62D6 2?5 C@E 2E 32J]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 :E 42? 36 6IA6?D:G6 E@ :CC:82E6 7:6=5D @? 2 C68F=2C 32D:D[ 6DA64:2==J H96? >2:?E6?2?46 4@DED 2C6 724E@C65 :?[ $<6==J D2:5 96 =@@<D 2E E96 C:D<\C6H2C5 32=2?46 @7 2CE:7:4:2= H2E6C:?8]k^Am
kAm“xE’D DE:== :? v@5’D 92?5D[ 3FE 2E =62DE J@F 86E D@>6 4@?EC@= @7 H92E J@F’C6 5@:?8[†96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 5@H?D:56 @7 C6=J:?8 FA@? H6== H2E6C 7@C :CC:82E:@? :D ?@E 2== 4C@AD 2C6 4C62E65 6BF2=] u@C G686E23=6D DF49 2D 4@C?[ DF>>6CE:>6 8C@H:?8 >:89E 4@?D:DE @7 H66<=J H2E6C:?8D[ H96C62D AF>A<:?D 42? 8@ 2E =62DE 2 >@?E9 H:E9@FE ?665:?8 2 D:8?:7:42?E D@2<:?8]k^Am
kAm(2E6C >2?286>6?E :D ?@E E96 @?=J 4@?D:56C2E:@? H96? AC6A2C:?8 7@C 2 DF446DD7F= 8C@H:?8 D62D@?] ~E96C 72C>6CD H9@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ =@42= 28C:E@FC:D> 5:5 ?@E 72C6 2D H6== 2D $<6==J’D >2C<6E 2?5 D2H D:8?:7:42?E =@DD6D :? 4C@A AC@5F4E:@?] %@ >2<6 FA 7@C :?6G:E23=6 7:?2?4:2= AC@3=6>D[ >2?J 4@?D:56C65 >2<:?8 E@F89 564:D:@?D]k^Am
kAmu@C qCJ2? |6J6C[ @H?6C @7 |6J6C’D u2C> |2C<6E :? |:=E@?[ 2? :?E6CCFAE:@? :? 9:D A=2?E:?8 4J4=6 :? yF?6 =67E 9:> >:DD:?8 E96 8C@H:?8 D62D@? 2=E@86E96C H96? :E 42>6 E@ D@>6 4C@AD]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5?’E 86E @FC 4@=@C65 AF>A<:?D A=2?E65 E9:D J62C 2?5 5:5?’E 86E @FC 72== DBF2D9 A=2?E65 6:E96C[†96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 |6J6C H2D 23=6 E@ 8C@H “4C:E:42= :E6>D[†DF49 2D EC25:E:@?2= @C2?86 AF>A<:?D[ 96 2=D@ 76=E E96 A:?49 2D E96 =2C86C G2C:6E:6D H6C6 ?@E23=J 23D6?E 7C@> E96 J:6=5D]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 =2C86 G@=F>6 @7 AF>A<:?D[ H6 ;FDE 5@?’E 92G6 E96 G2C:6EJ 3642FD6 @7 E9@D6 5:77:4F=E:6D[†96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmpD 2 C6DF=E @7 E96 =24<=FDE6C J:6=5 @7 46CE2:? 4C@AD[ |6J6C D2:5 96 :?4FCC65 25565 4@DED 5F6 E@ DFAA=J D9@CE286D 2?5 925 E@ 4FE DE277]k^Am
kAm“~?6 W724E@CX :D E96 D966C 4@DE @7 AC@5F4E:@? :? 86?6C2=[ H9:49 :?4=F56D D665D 2?5 ?FEC:6?ED[†96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ |6J6C D2:5 E9:D J62C’D DECF88=6D H6C6 ?@E A2DD65 2=@?8 E@ E96 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 AC:46D E9:D J62C C6>2:?65 F?492?865]k^Am
kAm|6J6C C6>2:?65 4@?7:56?E :? 9:D AF>A<:? @FEAFE]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 G6CJ 8@@5 AC@5F4E 2?5 2 =2C86 G@=F>6[†96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE 76H H66<6?5D 2C6 H96? >@DE AF>A<:?D 2C6 D@=5]k^Am
kAm“u2== E6?5D E@ 36 2 72>:=J 7F?4E:@?[ D@ E96 H66<6?5D 2C6 :>A@CE2?E[†|6J6C D2:5]k^Am
k9bmpAA=6 @C492C5D 27764E65[ E@@k^9bm
kAmp?@E96C =@42= 2EEC24E:@? :>A24E65 E9:D J62C :D {@C: y6?D@?’D pAA=6 wFE :? q6=@:E[ H96C6 G:D:E@CD 2??F2==J G:D:E E@ A:4< E96:C @H? 2AA=6D 7C@> y6?D@?’D ``\24C6 @C492C5] x? 2? 2G6C286 J62C[ E96 @C492C5’D a[a__ EC66D AC@5F46 `f G2C:6E:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 r@CE=2?5[ vC66?:?8D[ y@?2E92? 2?5 |4x?E@D9]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ y6?D@? D2:5 96C @C492C5 925 2 =@H6C\E92?\2G6C286 J:6=5 @7 y@?2E92? 2?5 r@CE=2?5 2AA=6D] r@CE=2?5 2AA=6D E@@< 2 AC64:A:E@FD=J D92CA 9:E[ 5C@AA:?8 AC@5F4E:@? E@ ?62C=J 2 E6?E9]k^Am
kAm“(6 EJA:42==J A:4< @G6C c__ 3FD96=D @7 r@CE=2?5D 2?5 x E9:?< H6 8@E 2C@F?5 d_ 3FD96=D WE9:D J62CX[†y6?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C E96 vC66?:?8D[ y6?D@? D2:5 E96 EC66D 5:5 ?@E AC@5F46 2 D:?8=6 2AA=6]k^Am
kAm“%96J 5:5 ?@E9:?8[ 23D@=FE6=J ?@E9:?8j :E H2D AC6EEJ 3:K2CC6[†D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAms:G6CD:7:42E:@? >:89E 36 2 D2G:?8 8C246 7@C y6?D@?[ 2D :E :D H:E9 @E96C 72C>6CD 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ C682:? =@DD6Di pAA=6 wFE AFC492D6D AF>A<:?D E@ D6== @?D:E6]k^Am
k9bmsC@F89E 4@?5:E:@?D AC@G6 A6CD:DE6?Ek^9bm
kAmpAA=6 wFE’D 5C@A :? 2AA=6 AC@5F4E:@? :D 2=D@ 2EEC:3FE65 E@ E96 DE2E6H:56 5C@F89E[ H:E9 E96 67764ED A2CE:4F=2C=J 76=E 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C @7 a_a_] p=E9@F89 A2CED @7 D@FE962DE6C? (:D4@?D:? C64@C565 9:896C E92? 2G6C286 D?@H72==[ E96 &]$] sC@F89E |@?:E@C =2DE J62C C6A@CE65 ?62C=J h_T @7 E96 DE2E6 6IA6C:6?465 “23?@C>2==J 5CJ†4@?5:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm#@4< r@F?EJ E9:D >@?E9 92D 6IA6C:6?465 >@C6 D:8?:7:42?E C2:?72== H:E9 2C@F?5 c]f :?496D 244F>F=2E:?8 2D @7 ~4E] `a] tG6? E9@F89 E9:D 244F>F=2E:@? 96=AD C6A=6?:D9 E96 D@:= 2?5 49:A 2H2J 2E E96 @G6C2== C2:? 567:4:E[ 72C>6CD 7:?5 AC64:A:E2E:@? 5FC:?8 92CG6DE D62D@? E@ 36 >@C6 @7 2 9:?5C2?46 E92? 2? 2DD6E] $:?46 72== 4C@AD 2C6 ?@ =@?86C :? ?665 @7 >@:DEFC6[ H6E 7:6=5D AC6G6?E 72C>6CD 7C@> 86EE:?8 4@>3:?6D E@ F?92CG6DE65 4C@AD]k^Am
kAmp55:E:@?2==J[ C2:? =2C86=J <66AD G:D:E@CD 7C@> G6?EFC:?8 @FED:56 2?5 E@ E96 2EEC24E:@?D[ 5C2DE:42==J :>A24E:?8 72C>6CD’ 3@EE@> =:?6D]k^Am
kAm“x7 :E C2:?D @? 2 $2EFC52J[ ?@3@5J H2?ED E@ 8@ @FE E@ E96 AF>A<:? A2E49 2?5 A:4< @FE AF>A<:?D[†$<6==J D2:5] “x’5 36 92AAJ :7 :E :D 5CJ ?@H E9C@F89 w2==@H66?]â€k^Am