BIXBY -- This year's pumpkin crop is looking good, according to a local pumpkin patch owner.
"I have got one friend of mine who raises some pumpkins south of here and they got so much rain that they lost their whole pumpkin crop just because the diseases and wet... pumpkins like dry weather," Don Carmichael, owner of the Carmichael's Pumpkin Patch, said.
Thankfully, that was not the case for Carmichael's. He grows 25 varieties of pumpkins himself, but trucks in the rest. He has 100 types at his patch.
"The water will hurt them, but we will buy from a lot of people and we raise a lot of our own so we don't have any trouble getting pumpkins," Carmichaels said.
He has dozens of large boxes filled with pumpkins and he will get twenty times more during the five weeks he is open.
Carmichael has had his pumpkin patch running for more than 40 years.
Besides pumpkins, he has a variety of animals that kids can pet and ride. He has his animals giving birth right around the first day of fall so the kids who visit can pet the babies.
Carmichael had a liter of piglets born this morning and goats and a llama born last week.
When asked why he continues to do the pumpkin patch every year, Carmichael laughed and said "I have no idea."
"I enjoy it," he said. "I enjoy seeing the people from one year to the next, watching these kids [growing]. We are going through about four generations of kids."
He said the pumpkins are great but having the kids there makes it really special.
"The pumpkins are just pumpkins, but like I said when you put the kids, you've always got one who is doing some little something that is kinda unique different," Carmichael said.
The patch opens Saturday, Sept. 22 and will remain open through Oct. 31.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
