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Oct 6, 2006 4:56 pm US/Central
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The Great Pumpkin Shortage
Weeks Before Halloween, Pumpkin Pickings Are Slim Due To Rain
by Pamela Jones
Crown Point, Ind. (CBS) ―
Here's a Halloween scare you don't normally see -- a pumpkin shortage just weeks before the big day.
Pickings are slim, so prices are on the rise.
CBS 2's Northwest Indiana Bureau Chief Pamela Jones reports from the pumpkin patch, citing all the rain is to blame for the pumpkin problems.
When it comes to picking the perfect pumpkin, kindergartner Julie Castillo knows what she's looking for.
"It looks like a circle," she said.
But this year, consumers will have to be a little choosier. Heavy rains drenched pumpkin patches all over Chicagoland, creating the perfect breeding ground for fungus and rotting.
"The pumpkins like water to plump up to be nice and big, but they hate sitting in the boggy soil," said Maggie St. Germain of River's Edge Farm.
A river of rain literally ran through the River's Edge Farm in Crown Point, Ind. It lost all but 25 percent of this year's crop, worth thousands of dollars. They shipped in about 15,000 pounds of pumpkins to keep customers smiling, but all the extra work means swelling price tags.
"Basically about a two dollar increase per pumpkin," said St. Germain.
When you're looking for a pumpkin this year, experts say choose one with a strong stem. If it breaks off easily, close to the base and the pumpkin feels too soft, it's likely to rot within a week.
Regardless, kids hunting out here just can't wait to get the pumpkins home.
"Cut it, take the seeds out of it and put some face on it," said pumpkin picker Castillo.
Experts say there are still enough good gourds to go around for a happy Halloween
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)