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La Crescenta pumpkin patch open for business despite the drought

Two-year old Abby Rygh of Sunland holds on tight to the pumpkin she chose at the La Crescenta Pumpkin Patch at Briggs and Foothill, in La Crescenta on Tuesday, October 27, 2015. The pumpkin patch is open seven days a week, 9-9 until November 1. It will reopen as a Christmas tree lot at the end of November.

Two-year old Abby Rygh of Sunland holds on tight to the pumpkin she chose at the La Crescenta Pumpkin Patch at Briggs and Foothill, in La Crescenta on Tuesday, October 27, 2015. The pumpkin patch is open seven days a week, 9-9 until November 1. It will reopen as a Christmas tree lot at the end of November.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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At the beginning of this month, David and Babette Batchelor opened their pumpkin patch in La Crescenta, and they felt lucky among pumpkin-patch operators because they proceeded with their business in the face of the state’s historic drought.

This year, the Batchelors witnessed pumpkin growers raise their prices for their crops, but they were able to keep the prices at their own patch at $3 per pumpkin.

“We’re very grateful to God that we’re able to have pumpkins, that we’re able to do this,” said Babette Batchelor. “It’s like a blessing. A lot of patches weren’t able to open because of the drought.”

The dry growing conditions also resulted in fewer quality pumpkins, said David Batchelor, with some appearing to have dents because they did not receive enough water.

“They’re not real, real plumpy,” he said.

Still, the Batchelor’s are already looking ahead for when they will occupy the same lot at the corner of Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in December to sell Christmas trees.

“The trees are coming direct from Washington [state],” she said, adding that Oregon’s drought impacted the trees there. “The Washington trees are going to be beautiful.”

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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan

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