Farm in Tirza parish grows about 600 pumpkins on 0.2 hectares

A farm called "Jaunbaloži" in Tirza parish, Latvia, harvested about 600 pumpkins this year, far more than its owners expected. The largest weighs 32 kilograms, while the average pumpkin weighs between 6 and 10 kilograms. The vegetables are sold at a symbolic price, and buyers have come not only from the surrounding area but also from Madona and Ape.

Pumpkins chosen because of crop rotation

Farmer Monta Pujāte told the regional newspaper "Dzirkstele" that the farm is currently switching to organic farming. Under organic rules, the same crop may not be grown in the same field for several years in a row. The farm began with garlic, so it needed a different crop, and it chose pumpkins. Pujāte says that in the future the farm should pick four or five crops so it can rotate its fields.

The pumpkins occupied only 0.2 hectares. According to Pujāte, the crop proved very rewarding: weeding was needed just once, so fuel and labour costs were lower and the work was easier and more pleasant.

Saved seeds and mixed varieties

The farmers first bought seeds in a shop, but only a few seedlings sprouted from them. They then used seeds they had saved themselves. As a result, the farm grows several pumpkin varieties rather than one specific kind. There were more than 200 plants in total, and each produced two to three pumpkins on average.

The experiment, which began because of land rotation requirements, has turned out to be a success for the farm.