Farmer credits reservoir for pumpkin crop success

A farmer whose fields are bursting with pumpkins despite the summer heatwaves attributes the success of his crop to having his own reservoir.

Frog's Farm in Thwaite, near Eye, Suffolk, is planning to open a pick-your-own pumpkin patch and said some other farmers have had to cancel similar events following a poor harvest.

Freddy Vaudrey said his farm's water reserves meant it could maintain its seven acres (2.8 hectares) of squash through an "exceptionally difficult" season.

"Without the reservoir we wouldn't have been able to produce such a lovely crop; it really was key this year," he added.

The farm's reservoir collects and stores surplus water in winter, which can then be pumped to crops through the drier, summer months.

While unable to put a figure on the gallons used, Vaudrey said its 50,000 "beautiful" pumpkins had been "thirsty".

"This summer has been exceptionally difficult - we've all felt it as humans, the extreme heat, the stress it puts on us, it's the same for plants," he added.

"We've had to put plenty of water on to get to where we are today.

"Without irrigation we wouldn't be in this fortunate position, so I do have great sympathy for other growers - it's really tough," he added.

Andrew King, who runs Ruffins Farm at Whepstead, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, said he had to cancel both its maize maze and its pick-you-own pumpkin events this year because of the "extreme" weather decimating its crops.

King said that as a small farm, a reservoir was too expensive and was "no option at all".

"It's very disappointing, to get to this point - a lot of hard work has gone into it," he added.

"There was nothing there - I think we had 50 pumpkins.

"We are very limited on water and we have to make sure it goes to the right place, and that has to be the sheep - we don't have enough to irrigate these pumpkins."

He said the farm would nevertheless plant pumpkins again next year and hope for better weather.

"We will be in the lap of the gods, and if we can't [produce pumpkins], we will have to find other things where we can welcome people on to the farm," he added.

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