KEITH Thompson’s pumpkins have been a tradition in the region and beyond for more than a decade, but this year will be the final harvest.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Thompson was killed in a workplace accident involving a forklift on his New England Highway property at Moonbi in January and it’s been all hands on deck to see his final harvest through.
The 76-year-old had sold his pumpkins for about 12 years beside the highway, with the quality of his pumpkins spreading beyond the region.
Son Lex Thompson said his dad had lived on the property since the family moved from Piallamore in the mid-1950s, where they had poultry.
“In Moonbi, they started as market gardeners, then lucerne and poultry, but after the government deregulated the chicken industry it was too difficult, and in the past 12 years he started getting back into the pumpkins and selling them on the roadside,” he said.
“This is his last crop and harvest. I’ve got some really good memories – like dad used to brush the dirt off the pumpkins, so I used to help him clean them all before they went on sale,” Lex said.
The roadside stall sells banana pumpkins, butternut, gramma and Queensland grey pumpkins and potkins, as well as jam melons.
“I think people like that connection with the farmers and no middle men,” Lex said.
“We’ve had Woolworths pull up and offer to buy the whole paddock, and the Guyra tomato farmer wanted to buy the whole lot, but dad wasn’t into that. He didn’t want any middle men, he liked that direct contact with people and people like to do that as well. It gives a connection nowadays and it’s not as commercialised.”
A woman from Coffs Harbour told her neighbours she was headed to Tamworth and the neighbour requested pumpkins from Moonbi as she was travelling through.
The crop won’t be continued past this year because it’s so labour-intensive and the family all have full-time jobs.
As a sign of respect and tribute to Keith, volunteers have joined the family to harvest the crop.
“We’ve had 25-30 volunteers so far. Some people we know and some we don’t,” Lex said.
“We had one guy turn up and did three-quarters of a day’s work for us and we still don’t know who he was.”
Sons Lex, James and Don and Keith’s six grandchildren and his widow still help out on the farm.
The Kootingal-Moonbi Rural Fire Service has also helped out as Keith was a member for about 60 years.
Lex said there was still at least three months of pumpkins to go.