Hoard Your Gourd - Pumpkins are in Short Supply | Buzz Blog
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Hoard Your Gourd - Pumpkins are in Short Supply

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It’s almost that time of year when people become a wee bit fanatical about pumpkins. They show up in lattes, pies, smoothies and even beer. --- However, this year pumpkin lovers across the United States and Canada are in for a rude awakening. Due to heavy precipitation this spring, it would appear that the orange gourds will be in short supply this year.

Normally, pumpkins are ripening to a rich-orange hue on their vines right now, but this year they are behind throughout the country. It’s especially concerning in the northeastern states, which grow the majority of the pumpkins sold in North America, because the region suffered an uncharacteristically wet spring. This resulted in hefty losses because of seedlings washing away and root rot.

So, this fall, grocery store shelves across the nation have been noticeably empty of canned pumpkin. Nevertheless, people are doing what they can. According to Associated Food Stores spokesman Fermin Espinosa, three truckloads of Libby’s canned pumpkin are on their way to Associated’s Salt Lake area grocery stores. Also, he said they expect Western Family to ship canned pumpkin in early October.

However, while Espinosa was optimistic, not everyone is expecting to avoid a pumpkin pandemonium. For example, a distributor told the Washington Post and shoppers in the area looking to make pumpkin pie:

"We will not be back in pumpkin until this year's harvest."

Despite this spring’s wet weather, there’s still hope that this year’s pumpkin crop will not suffer the same fate, but it will be up to Mother Nature.

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