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Moore Pumpkin Farm still prospering despite heavy rains

An East Texas grower takes us through his pumpkin farm after severe storms this past weekend.

This year East Texas has seen over five and a half inches of rain. This could spell disaster for local pumpkin farmers, but the Moore Farm is staying optimistic.

“That’s how we started this business, my wife was a school teacher and we were managing a ranch in Texarkana and the next door farm was doing field trips with pumpkin so she said we move back to bullard back home, so that’s what we did,” owner of Moore pumpkin patch Cleve Moore said.

His pumpkin patch is about 44 acres, which is about 4000 pumpkins. In east texas selling pumpkins is a gamble.No matter how many pumpkins are harvested, they don’t always get sold.

“Typically once october hits, the pumpkin is mature. I don’t need another drop to grow the crop”, Moore said.

Heavy rain means less foot traffic into the farm.

“That year it rained four out of my 5 weekends i lost 50 plus thousand dollars -- because no one came in the rain, farming is very very risky”, Moore said.

The farm is only open for 5 weekends in late september and october.

every day counts.

“You can’t be in the field when there is lightning and heavy rain. so that stops everything. Last saturday we had a rain shower come through at 3 so we shut down”, Moore said.

One day of rain can cost up to 10 or 15 percent of total profits.

There are good year despite the heavy rains across east texas. Moore said his farm is still prospering.

“This is pretty trafficked, after a few thousand people come through, it gets pretty rough looking”, Moore said.

So far the rain hasn’t cost him too much.

“We haven’t had any digergation to our pumpkins due to the rain -- we just hope it kinda stops this week”, Moore said.

The last two weeks usually bring the most profit

“We just hope for the best, hedge the bet, we know going into this type of business we’re going to get rained out”, Moore said.

That optimism is one he says a farmer always carries into each and every year.

For more information on when Moore Farm's pumpkin patch is open click here - http://www.moorefarms.com.

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