As the season arrives for pumpkin picking, many individuals rush to select the most vibrant and perfectly shaped orange pumpkins for carving spooky faces or baking pies.
However, in Newfoundland and Labrador, local farmers are reporting that erratic summer weather is affecting the growth of their pumpkins.
“The climate is shifting. Each year can vary significantly,” remarked Wandalee Porter, a farmer from Conception Bay South.
Farmers noted that this summer was notably chilly and damp, especially when compared to 2025, a year when the province faced record-high temperatures with minimal rainfall.
Consequently, Lester’s Farm located in St. John’s reported that their pumpkin harvest is two weeks behind schedule this year.
Last month, while gesturing towards a field filled with green pumpkins, owner Chris Lester stated, “Here we are at the end of September. Typically, we don’t have pumpkins still in the field at this time of year.”
Lester also encountered difficulties in planting seeds at the beginning of the summer.
“It was so cold that it felt like they weren’t growing at all, even by July,” he explained.
Chris Lester, owner of Lester’s Farm, mentioned that their pumpkin yield was delayed by approximately two weeks due to unfavorable summer weather. (Abby Cole/CBC)
Porter shared that her pumpkin patch faced similar hardships.
She sowed around 3,000 pumpkin seeds but noted that only a few hundred were able to flourish.
“I may have planted a bit too early. The cold snap in the spring damaged some of my pumpkins. We did lose some,” she recounted.
Conversely, both farmers agreed that the pumpkins that did thrive this season were of excellent quality.
“They are quite large since we had ample moisture throughout the summer,” stated Lester.
Porter also noted a significant contrast this year compared to the last.
“Last year we had a lot of pumpkins, but their quality was lacking. This year, the quality is outstanding, although the quantity has decreased,” explained Porter.
Climate Change Leading to Unpredictable Harvests
Climatologist Joel Finnis from Memorial University indicated that the issues with pumpkin growth can be attributed to climate change.
Climatologist Joel Finnis from Memorial University stated that climate change will introduce more uncertainty for Canadian farmers. (Abby Cole/CBC)
Finnis remarked that the stark contrast in weather between the summers of 2025 and 2026 highlights a shifting climate—indicating that an increase in temperature leads to greater variability in weather patterns.
This unpredictability poses significant challenges for the agricultural sector.
“Planning for a season that you have never experienced is tough. We are observing more seasons that are unlike anything we’ve seen before,” he stated.
Regarding the delayed harvest at Lester’s Farm, Finnis mentioned that this too is indicative of climate change impacts.
“This is one of the main consequences we have anticipated from climate change for quite some time. The cooler fall season is expected to be delayed further and further,” he explained.
While this could allow for a more extended growing season, Finnis cautioned that it may also increase the risk of pest infestations.
“If the season extends from early springs to late falls, we might encounter issues with new pest species, as they will have more time to complete their life cycles and potentially thrive in the following spring,” he added.
Finnis emphasized that this unpredictability will result in challenges for farmers in the near future.
For Porter, that includes her pumpkins.
“In the past, we didn’t have to do much to encourage their growth. Now, we have to water them extensively,” she noted.
“We must adapt our traditional growing practices and rethink our planting strategies to ensure their survival.”
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