A One-Stop-Shop For All Things Pumpkin in Floydada
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We’re three weeks deep into October... and that means the best part of fall has come — all things pumpkin, especially the actual gourds themselves. If you haven’t gotten one yet for your home this year, then there’s no place else to get it besides Pumpkin Pyle!
The farm provides communities with a full selection of fall produce ranging from pumpkins, gourds, winter squash, corn shocks, and Indian corn. Pumpkin Pyle boasts of farming heritage and family farming with nearly 30 years of industry experience.
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Humble Beginnings
Pumpkin Pyle started out in a 15-acre field with 3 generations involved. Specifically, five went to Louis Pyle (the grandad), five went to Robert Pyle (the dad), and five went to Jason Pyle (the son).
Jason Pyle was given the option to plant five acres by Louis Pyle, his grandad. After thinking about it, he let him know that he would like to try growing pumpkins. After much debate, pumpkins were planted.
The farm is currently managed and owned by the third generation of Pyle farmers, Robert and Paula Pyle, Jason and Lindsey Pyle, and Matthew and Kember Rainwater. Today, Pumpkin Pyle has evolved into a thriving fruit and veggies provider in the Texas panhandle while still holding true to their mission from the start: To grow and sell quality fall produce.
Farm Challenges
Marketing was a huge problem during the early years that the farm was established, no thanks to the non-existent world wide web. Admittedly, it took good seven years for them to get a decent customer base.
The next problem was the labor and storage of their pumpkins. The farm needed new facilities to cater to their growing needs, as well as have help in harvesting, with their farm growth into 200 acres.
Their expansion led to purchasing Heptad Vegetables in 2011 and another increase in acreage of 400 acres. Almost a decade later, Pumpkin Pyle planted a whopping 800 acres for this year alone. Of course, with the help of Matthew and Kember Rainwater who were brought into the farm in 2015.
The Pumpkin Pyle Timeline
Just like any other farm, the weather is a year-round challenge that Pumpkin Pyle needs to face. Specifically, not having enough rain during the growing season or having too much of it during harvesting season.
If you’re just as curious about their preparations for the much-awaited annual spooky event, Lindsey Pyle gladly shared their timeline with us:
December of the previous year: Seeds are purchased.
January-March: Fields are prepared by cultivating and fertilizing.
April: Pre-watering starts.
May-(mid) June: Planting.
June-August: Irrigating, hoeing, spraying, bringing in bees for pollination, and watching the crops grow.
August-October: Harvest time!
Fun fact: The Pyles raise their own bees for pollinating their crops.
They usually start with harvesting hay bales, ornamental corn (picked, shucked, and dried), and then pumpkins and gourds. All of these pieces are each harvested by manual labor — as real and fulfilling it can possibly be.
Pumpkin Pyle Products
Bestsellers
When one thinks of Halloween, carving a pumpkin is everyone’s first choice. This is the sole reason why it’s no longer a surprise to know that their bestseller is the orange jack-o-lanterns.
Specialty items
Their specialty items are what sets them apart from the rest of the pumpkin farms out there. Pumpkin Pyle grows about 65 different varieties of pumpkins! Their top three specialty items are the Fairytale, Cinderella, and Crystal Star.
Where to Get Pumpkin Pyle Products
The farm sells its products in a variety of grocery stores, nurseries, pumpkin patches, and mom and pop shops all over the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and a few in between.
Visit their official website or give them a call for more information.
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