Hot and dry summer impacts Norfolk pumpkin harvest
Farmers struggle with this year's yield due to tough conditions
A hot and dry summer has led to significant challenges for pumpkin farms in Norfolk, with local wildlife also affecting this year's crop yield.
Henry Cushing, a farmer at Brook Hill Farm in Thursford, Norfolk, shared how hares, badgers, deer, and slugs have been consuming his pumpkins, saying,
"A pumpkin's 95% water, so we've found that hares were eating them, badgers were eating them, deer were eating them. Slugs love the green leaves.
But you know, they're as desperate as everybody else was for a bit of moisture."
The farm, co-owned by Henry and his wife Victoria, has been producing pumpkins for nine years but this year's conditions have been the toughest.
"It has been really bad in a word. We planted the pumpkins as per normal and the pumpkin plants came.
But because of the extreme weather, a lot of them just didn't produce pumpkins. And the ones that did were attacked. I've had lots of sleepless nights worrying about them," Henry said.
Compared to last year, the family-run business has experienced a significant decline in yield. While in 2025 they produced 5 acres of pumpkins, yielding about 3,000 pumpkins per acre, this year they planted 10 acres and received half the crop of the year before.
However, the farm remains hopeful for a successful season with enough pumpkins for everyone despite the challenges.
With Halloween's growing popularity and pumpkin picking becoming increasingly trendy, Brook Hill Farm has adapted to draw in crowds by creating photogenic displays, including scarecrows, vintage equipment, and a unique fairground organ from Henry's late father.