Historic hot, dry conditions give Abbotsford farmers late season push
A historically hot and dry September has given a farm in B.C.’s Fraser Valley a much-needed boost.
At Maan Farms in Abbotsford, heavy rainfall led to field rot last fall, and after a wet and cool start to the summer, it was looking like it could be much of the same.
However, after the driest and warmest September in the city’s history, Maan Farms is back on track.
"Our pumpkins are beautiful," farmer Amir Maan told CTV News.
"When you go through the field, every pumpkin is perfect.”
While the product will be top notch, Maan says the rocky start to summer has led to supply issues.
"One thing people don't think about is that pumpkins actually grow over four months, you need 120 good days," he said.
"In the spring when it was so cold and wet, many farmers couldn't grow their plants, so that means people who dedicated 40, 50, 60 acres, we dedicated 20 and can probably only grow about 12," said Maan.
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon, these unprecedented stretches of weather are becoming more common.
"We've been noticing that we do get stuck in these persistent patterns," Sekhon said.
"We saw a delayed summer where we were stuck in an unsettled pattern, of course last fall we were stuck in a wet pattern, and last summer we were stuck in a hot pattern.”
As for Maan, he says to hurry out before it's too late.
"Go out to the nearest farm and buy your pumpkin while you still can," he said.
"The supply might be low, but the quality is perfect.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.