Please don't sit on the pumpkins. Here's why this New Jersey farm says it's bad for business.
A New Jersey farm has a warning for people headed to pick pumpkins this fall. Von Thun's Country Farm Market in South Brunswick has a message for its visitors: please don't sit on the pumpkins.
"You know all those posts from influencers encouraging you to sit on pumpkins for photos? Please don't do that unless you plan to buy it and bring it home with you!" the farm posted Monday on social media.
The farm shared a photo showing two wheelbarrows filled with dozens of damaged pumpkins, which it said was just a glimpse of what it picks up after each weekend.
The post says if a pumpkin is cracked of its stem is broken, it usually can't be sold.
"It doesn't go to waste, per se, since our farm animals will gladly eat them, but we grow pumpkins to sell them, not as piggy snacks!" the post continues, going on to thank its followers for the support this season.
The farm has two locations - the South Brunswick location in Middlesex County, and then another in Washington in Warren County. They host weekend festivals with activities, as well as pumpkin and apple picking during the week.
Pumpkin & apple picking conditions for 2025
Our First Alert Weather team says sufficient rainfall over the summer provided perfect growing conditions for pumpkins. The dry pattern that has followed allows them to stay on the vines longer, without rotting in the fields.
It's a similar scenario for apple trees, with the former wet pattern helping the fruit grow properly, and the current dry pattern keeping them from rotting on the trees. The dryness also allows the sugars in the apples to become more concentrated, making the fruit sweeter.