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Outdoor pumpkin, apple sales drop after fall snow

Folks are feeling the impact of the big change in weather. We checked in on a favorite fall-time activity to see how business is holding up.

ROCKFORD, Minn. — The snow may not be sticking around. Still, a favorite fall activity could be feeling its impact.

"Sales are very weather related," said Mel Knapton of Knapton's Raspberries, Pumpkins & Orchard.

The family farm is just off of HWY 55. On a warm October Saturday, there would be a line at the checkout and the parking lot would be full.

But this Saturday, with its on-again, off-again snow, only the tough Minnesotans pulled up to hand-pick pumpkins, apples and other available produce.

"Oh, did not deter us," customer Becky Krenz-Roe said. "We're hardy. We like to get outside."

Evidently, it's the quality that makes it worth being in the cold.

"HouseBeautiful Magazine selected us as the best pumpkin patch in the state this year," Knapton said. 

Everything is farm-fresh.

"I mean, our apples, when they hit the grocery store, they taste like celery and potatoes. You come out and get them fresh picked off the tree and they taste like a fresh apple."

Yes, business was slow Saturday. But hey, It's not the last weekend in October. In fact, Knapton says next weekend, MEA Weekend, tends to be busy with families coming to pick pumpkins in time for Halloween. 

We'll just have to see how the weather turns out.

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