Wilke’s Dairy Farm bouncing back from tough pumpkin harvest last year

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - It’s that time of the year when families come out to local farms to grab their favorite pumpkin.

After a rough 2021, Wilke’s Dairy Farm in Wausau says they’re seeing a fruitful harvest.

“This is probably one of the best crops we’ve had. Last year, we had problems with pumpkins. They just didn’t grow as well as they should have. But this year’s been an excellent year,” said owner Doug Wilke.

With any farmer, the weather is always the x-factor when growing crops. Wilke’s Farm knew based on the past two seasons, this harvest could make-or-break their autumn success.

To appeal to Mother Nature, Doug gave us some advice.

“You need adequate moisture to begin with inadequate temperatures to get them started growing in the spring. You don’t want them too hot because they can’t handle it. Pumpkins are not a very hardy crop. So the weather has to be correct for them.”

Wilke’s Dairy Farm not only has a pumpkin patch, but they also have a corn maze, bouncy house, and a petting zoo to celebrate the fall season.

Copyright 2022 WSAW. All rights reserved.