Kirk and Mary Ulland, who work at Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch north of Austin, have plenty of fall fruits and vegetables and set up a booth at the farmers’ market three times a week in Austin. Their pumpkins and squash, of which they have several varieties, have been in season for several weeks. - Matt Peterson/matt.peterson@austindailyherald.com

From pumpkins to Indian corn, autumn is on display  at the farmers’ market

Milling around the farmers’ market, it’s pretty easy to tell what season is coming.

Though it’s not cold and the trees haven’t turned colors, there’s plenty of orange, yellow, red and green to go around. Ask Mary and Kirk Ulland of Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch north of Austin. They’ve been producing ripe pumpkins for several weeks already; and even though some have complained about pumpkin shortages in other parts of the state, the Ullands have had no problems. They have white pumpkins, miniature pumpkins, bumpy pumpkins and more.

“We’re doing super this year,” Kirk said.

Kirk said the one minor frost they experienced dropped the leaves from the pumpkin vines, so the fields really indicate fall now.

“You can really see the pumpkins now,” he said.

For the Ullands, that’s good news, as the timing is right for them. Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch will open at noon this Saturday, and there’s a lot more than pumpkins coming into season. Farmer John’s has Indian corn, gourds, tomatoes, squash, peppers and raspberries, which visitors can pick when they visit the facility. Mary and Kirk are also still setting up their booth at the Austin Farmers’ Market three times a week until the last week of October, when the market closes. Whether it’s the food, the weather or the colors, the Ullands are visibly happy as they mingle with locals at the market.

“It’s a fun time of year,” Kirk said.