HOOPER, Utah — Almost everything around us feels like it’s getting more expensive. But for the past 16 years, the price of pumpkins at a patch in Hooper has stayed the same — carry as many as you can for five dollars.
"Originally when we started it was two dollars an armful, and then four into it we decided bump it up to five dollars and it’s been that way ever since,” said Alan Spaulding, a fifth-generation farmer who has been growing pumpkins for 20 years.
Part of his ‘Pick UR Pumpkin’ experience at 5151 S 6700 W in Hooper is picking the pumpkins from the field yourself.
“They get to come out and see what I love doing and what put part of the smile on my face,” Alan said.
WATCH | Carry as many pumpkins as you can for just $5 at Hooper Pick UR Pumpkin patch
His pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, and there is something for everyone. Farming is in Alan’s blood. He is passionate about agriculture and teaches it to high school students as well.
This year, Alan’s son son, Alex, helped with the patch. "It’s nice to see their eyes light up when they have the pumpkin they want,” Alex said.
It's like a little treasure hunt for Kamy Beutler's family.
"I love picking and growing and it’s just more fun to like find your own personal pumpkin versus something that looks all the same in the store, it’s great,” she said.
With her husband and son, they picked out about 17 pumpkins through the Spaulding patch.
It's not just about finding the perfect pumpkins here but seeing how many you can carry. “People smile, they giggle, they laugh, they find unique ways to carry pumpkins out,” said Alan.
An armful of pumpkins is five dollars, which is much cheaper than what Beutler said she has seen at grocery stores. "I think it’s great that we can come and get a bunch of pumpkins for a good deal,” she added.
He said even with the rollercoaster weather, he was able to get a good pumpkin crop this year. But some growers in the Salt Lake valley and further south said they weren’t as lucky.
"We believe that it was, you know, partly heat stress. Partly pathogens, the virus, bacteria that affected some of those vines that caused them to die because they were healthy, and then they just started to yellow off and die,” said Ryan Schmidt, with Schmidt's Farm and Greenhouse in West Jordan.
Alan said he hopes with picking every pumpkin, people get to really experience what it’s like on a farm. "It brings me joy and they get to share what I love,” he said.