‘They’re picking their own pumpkins’: Ceresco pumpkin farm battles price hikes by cutting labor costs

CERESCO, Neb. (KLKN) – Sara Rippe and her family have owned SR Pumpkin and Flower Farm for the last decade.

They offer a variety of pumpkins and flowers to the families that visit each season, but due to rising costs, Rippe says she’s had to cut down on labor costs in order to maintain her normal options.

“Seed costs, since I started growing over 10 years ago, has almost tripled,” she said. “Fertilizer cost, I mean you get your fertilizer bill and it’s an extra $3,ooo dollars, so we take some of the hit but that’s OK because families are having fun. They got to enjoy it and that’s almost worth as much as payment to us.”

Rippe tells Channel 8 that they used to be able to sell mini pumpkins at three for a dollar, but that is no longer the case.

In response to unexpected costs, she says, “We kind of anticipate something will go up and we just kind of roll with it.”

This year, she’s referring to harvesting less pumpkins by herself or workers and instead leaving them in the fields for the visitors.

“They’re picking their own pumpkins which is fun for them but also saves us in labor cost,” said Rippe. “They’re essentially doing some sweat equity to get a better deal and it saves us on labor.”

She says she still harvests many pumpkins on her own for her delivery service, which is an option for those who can’t do much heavy lifting or don’t have the desire to come out and visit the farm.

“It’s all basically me, with a little help from my husband and sometimes my kids, but I’m out here 99% of the time,” said Rippe. “I touch the plants from seed to final pumpkin, place on your porch or into your wheel barrel.”