Pumpkin Patch
Howe Family Farm
Ontario Pumpkins
Our pumpkin patch is our pride and joy here at Howe Family Farms. We are a leader in innovation and growing the best, most enjoyable pumpkins. It’s all due to a combination of having a great location with an abundance of natural resources and proven growing techniques.
Award Winning Pumpkin Patch
With over 40 years of experience growing pumpkins and gourds we decided to strive for something new. Something reducing our costs of production, preventing soil erosion, increasing soil health, adding organic matter, reducing our herbicide use, and above all producing a cleaner, better pumpkin.
Sounds challenging yes, but when you know the in’s and the outs of the pumpkin patch you start to look for new ways to grow a pumpkin. This year we were recognized for our efforts to produce a better pumpkin when we were awarded with a Regional Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence because of a unique pumpkin growing technique developed right here on our farm!
Our Process
The process involves growing a rye cover crop in the fall. When the spring pumpkin-planting season arrives, our custom-made roller knocks down the rye prior to seeding. The new approach has slashed labour costs for weeding, prevented soil erosion, increased soil health and reduced our herbicide use. Growing the pumpkins on a thick bed of fallen rye also means less contact with the soil which reduces the need to wash off soil, producing a cleaner jack-o-lantern.Even this baby fawn appreciates our no-till planter!
