CARBON COUNTY, Pa. — Labor Day is just around the corner, but farmers have been looking ahead to the fall season for a while, including at Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Mahoning Township.
They have fields filled with pumpkins.
"It seems like everybody pushes the season earlier and earlier; I'd say we'll be starting in a week or two, definitely in the middle of September we'll be picking," said Chris Botek, owner of Crystal Spring Tree Farm.
Botek says this year's crop is similar to last year's. He says with anything you grow, weather plays a huge role in how the final product turns out.
"There's a lot of ones that are real green, yet then there's some like this that's out in the sun a little more, so it's going to turn orange faster."
"We had rain when we needed it, got a little dry early when we first planted them, but we got key thunderstorms all through summer, so we are good," explained Botek.
Now that the pumpkins are looking great for picking farmers, they say they hope Mother Nature helps keep them that way.
"we don't want a whole lot of rain, we don't want terrible damp situations, but pretty much now it is what it is and you take what you can get, everything can use a drink always but we are looking forward to getting started with it," said Botek.
Crystal Spring Farm near Lehighton will welcome customers for fall activities like pick-your-own pumpkins soon.
Owners say they're already planning for the next busy season, Christmas tree season.