Californians searching supermarkets for the perfect pumpkin this week are likely to select a squash grown by Bryan Van Groningen, co-owner and vice president of crops and soils at Van Groningen & Sons in Manteca, or by another farmer in San Joaquin County, which produces most of the pumpkins sold in the state. “We get the warm temperatures in the daytime and cooler nights,” Van Groningen said. “The plants thrive in those conditions.” The fourth-generation farmer grows 55 different pumpkin varieties and sells as many as 10 million pumpkins a year. Varieties include the Knucklehead and Warty Minion, both covered with unsightly bumps; the Fairytale, flat and round with deep ribs; and the Big Mac, weighing in at up to 120 pounds. “I’d say we have every color except for maybe purple,” Van Groningen said.
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