RAMONA (KGTV) — "I wish it was the same temperature as it was on this day last year. It was 72 degrees. The year before that it was 82 degrees. But you know what actually thrives in this heat? Pumpkins!."
"Pumpkins like the heat yes," said Joyce Battaglia.
“The pumpkins survive if you give them a lot of water," she added.
“Why is that important?"
“Well pumpkins are 90 percent water. So they need a lot of water to grow," said Battaglia.
Battaglia has been growing pumpkins for nearly 30 years.
“I was not a country girl. When I moved out here I came from Coronado actually and became a country girl," she said.
She bought Mountain Valley Ranch and has loved it ever since.
“The record for this day is 102, are you feeling it?"
“Yes! That is why my hair is up! Haha.”
Battaglia has up to 70 tons of pumpkins per year. But because of the heat, her business has slowed down.
“Because we do pony rides, the corn cannon and a hay ride. When it is 102 degrees it is hard to be out here and be in the sun for a couple hours," she added.
"I start planning in June. We get to decorate. It gives me a lot of joy. A lot of fun. I love the people," she said.
There is a lot of cool stuff to do on the ranch. And Battaglia is hoping for a cooler October. The pumpkin patch is open through Halloween. Then they have a Christmas tree farm starting the day after Thanksgiving.
