The arrival of Halloween signals the return of daft traditions. Fancy dress, apple-bobbing, trick-or-treating, fireworks and now, for some reason, pumpkin picking.

When I was a kid, I don't remember pumpkin picking. So when did this all start?

Apparently, it was big in the 1980's then tailed off in popularity until very recently. Why the sudden change in heart you may ask? Social media, obviously.

I'm not sure it requires an explanation, but pumpkin picking is where people visit a farm or 'pumpkin patch' to select their own pumpkins to take home.

That's it.

I get that it's a fun activity for kids and I understand that it's an opportunity for couples to pretend how adorable they are together for Instagram. But come on - in most cases - it's a complete scam.

I'm not alone on this either.

Following the most recent 2024 pumpkin boom, a user took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their blunt thoughts: "Pumpkin picking is the biggest scam going," they wrote.

"Discovered last year it’s just a load of pumpkins from Aldi, chucked on a muddy field, for 10 times the price. Never again."

The post caught the attention of other users who had made the same realisation. One person suggested renaming it "pumpkin picking-up".

There is, of course, an argument for the benefits it brings to the farming industry. In 2023, 100,000 pumpkins were being grown in the Vale of Glamorgan, with at least five farms offering a picking experience.

Some businesses say they can make £30,000 an acre by offering pick-your-own.

Phil Handley, of the Mostyn Kitchen Garden, told the BBC: "It's a great earner and always very lucrative".

He added: "You can plant 5,000 pumpkins an acre. A pumpkin in a supermarket might be a couple of quid, but people will pay more for the outdoor experience and have some fun and pick pumpkins.

"So our pumpkins are between £2 to £10. If you take an average price of £5, that's £25,000 an acre."

I have no problem with this. There is no downside to offering an authentic experience whilst benefiting the constantly crippled farming industry.

It's people who are rinsing supermarkets of their oversized tangerines and lobbing them in a field under the guise of 'It's fun for all the family!'.

You might say: "Oh don't be so mardy if the kids don't know any better who's bothered. Santa isn't real you know?", well, that's my point. The big fella doesn't exist but genuine pumpkin patches do (I'll go for the hat trick, the tooth fairy is a fraud 'n' all).

According to the Express, these farms sell pumpkins grown on-site:

(These are not the only ones in the country - far from it - just some I could find)

  • Stanhill Farm, Kent
  • Tulley's Farm, Sussex
  • Pumpkin Pete's, Herefordshire
  • Crockfield Farm Park, Oldham
  • Farmer Copley's, West Yorkshire
  • Cairn Fruit Farm, Fife

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I never anticipated getting so riled up over a pumpkin, but that's the world we live in.

If you're going to go pumpkin picking, then make sure you check before and make sure that it is a genuine patch. 

Happy Halloween.