With corn nearing its harvest stage in Ohio and soybeans 89 percent completed, oats 96 percent along and second cutting of hay 95 percent done, other crops are starting to take the stage.

Ask growers about these crops and they’ll say the conditions have been pretty spectacular. But ask producers of the coveted pumpkin and they’ll tell you heavy summer rains have caused fewer to complete, and many are smaller than in previous years.

"It’s just one of those strange years. We did have some problems due to heavy rains," said Joe Kleather, owner of Kleather’s Pumpkin Patch in Springboro, which has been in business for 39 years. "Right now we’ve lost 10 percent of our crop due to flooding."

According to Kleather, seeds were planted three times in one area of his field, only to be washed away by heavy downpours, and the rain also brought disease that has made another 10 percent of the pumpkins unfit for sale.

"It’s a double whammy as far as the weather," said Jim Jasinski, an Ohio State University extension integrated pest management coordinator. The May-July rains delayed or prevented planting, and growers who did plant lost crops to flooding.

"Now, it’s almost drought-like in parts of the state, which will mean smaller pumpkins," he said. "I would not call it a shortage, but there will be fewer pumpkins, 20 percent lower than previous years."

Local farmers said it’s too early to call it a shortage, or to expect a major hike in prices.

"We have a decent crop. There are smaller pumpkins and not as many, but crunch time isn’t for two weeks," said Bob Ullrich, owner of Hidden Valley Fruit Farm in Lebanon. "We are just now getting into picking. If we find the normal 5 tons per acre, then there won’t be a change, but if we get 2 tons, we’ll look at raising our prices."

Kleather said he raised prices 2 cents this year, to 38 cents a pound, not because of rain damage but because he hadn’t increased prices in 10 years. "Once we set a price, we have never changed that due to the influx or lack of pumpkins. If there’s a change, then we have to somewhat eat that difference."

Kleather said area prices will vary wildly.

"It’s possible you could see higher prices for canned pumpkin because there is no other source of it," Jasinski added.

Aside from pumpkins, conditions for the week ending Sept. 20 were ideal, as six days were suitable for fieldwork and statewide soil moisture continued to decline.