Local family grows pumpkins and young entrepreneurs

Camilla, five, Leo, nine, and Lincoln, 11, proudly show off their pumpkin harvest at 290 St. Vincent St. S in Stratford. Jodi Hart photo

By Diane Danen

What started as a fun family project during the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a yearly tradition and a hands-on business for the Hart family.

Jodi and Dave Hart, along with their three children Lincoln, Leo and Camilla, began growing pumpkins five years ago as a way to teach their kids about hard work, money management and responsibility.

Since then, the young entrepreneurs have taken part in every step of the process from planting seeds in the spring to harvesting in the fall. They even save seeds from the current year’s pumpkins to replant next season.

This year was more challenging than previous years. A cool spring followed by high summer temperatures and dry weather led to a smaller harvest, down about 35 per cent from past years. Still, Jodi Hart sees it as a valuable learning opportunity.

“It’s a life lesson, especially about farming,” she said.

Farming is nothing new for the Hart family. Dave Hart grew up on a farm in North Easthope and has been involved in agriculture his entire life. He works in the family business doing custom work for area farmers.

The Harts grow the pumpkins in North Easthope on the family farm but sell them from their home in Stratford.

“The setup is mostly self-serve unless you catch the kids haggling with a customer in the driveway!” Jodi Hart laughed.

Through hard work and a bit of fun, the Hart family is showing that farming, even on a small scale, can teach big life lessons.