Family farm's 'huge relief' to see pumpkins

The co-owner of a family-run farm in Leicestershire said it was "a huge relief" to see pumpkins growing after a crop failure last year.

Jo Belcher, of March House Farm in Great Dalby, told the BBC the pumpkins had grown well despite a "difficult year".

She said that while the weather in general had been very dry, the farm had caught the rain at the "right time", and there had been more "favourable weather" for growing the crop.

It is a boost after the farm reported in 2024 that it had not been able to grow the crop for the first time.

Ms Belcher said: "It's a small crop in comparison to the farming that we rely on, but it was such a relief to see that everything was going to plan, everything was coming through nicely."

She added the crop was grown for the public as it allowed people to engage with the farm.

"It's just great to get that engagement where people can actually get on the farm, they can walk through the fields and they can pick a pumpkin," she said.

Last year, Ms Belcher told the BBC the pumpkin seeds "went into hibernation" due to the chilly spring.

"It is the weather and the conditions that they've tried to grow in - we've had a whole crop failure," she said in 2024.

Ms Belcher said she had heard "a lot of failure stories" last year, but this year she said she had not heard of any "bad growing seasons".

"I think last year was a real anomaly for growers, and it seemed to affect more than just us.

"I think this year everything seems to be back on track and everybody seems to have caught the favourable weather and have grown well again," she added.

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