As pumpkin harvest season comes to a close, local growers are reporting a below average year.

Lorissa Penner from Penner Pumpkins Farm Store says their pumpkins are smaller than most years noting they didn't have many of the 100 to 150-pound pumpkins this year but says they have probably 100 to 200 of the 30-pound pumpkins. 

"It was a terribly dry, dry year this year," says Penner when talking about this year's harvest conditions. "At the patch, we did not have any rain since July. Our pumpkins actually are looking quite good like we got some quite big ones."

Penner adds they watered a part of their crop which made a difference noting their harvest was down but still good.  

Gord Blatz from Blatz Fun Farm and Corn Maze says pumpkins need a good soil base and he explains what they prefer in terms of growing conditions.    

"Actually pumpkins do like the heat but they like a little more moisture. this year was just too dry for most of the crops, I farm and even my hay land and my pastures just didn't produce anything versus the previous years."

Blatz notes on an average year they harvest approximately two full hay racks and a cattle trailer full of pumpkins but adds this year they were barely able to fill the box of a pickup truck.