SEVERANCE, Colo. — A Northern Colorado pumpkin patch will not return this fall, and the family behind it says drought conditions are to blame.
Sonrise Farm in Severance recently announced it will not open its pumpkin patch for 2026 after learning it likely will not receive irrigation water in August, a critical time for growing pumpkins.
▶️WATCH: Denver7's Northern Colorado and Eastern Plains Reporter Peter Choi met with the owner of the farm to learn more about their challenges this year.
For owner Theresa Schlagel, the decision was heartbreaking.
"This year is dramatically different," she said. "Talking to my husband, who grew up on this farm, he does not remember another year where water was in such short supply."
The farm has been part of the Severance community for generations.
But this year, the field where thousands of pumpkins would normally grow sits empty.
"We were informed by our ditch company that we could not depend on getting any water whatsoever in August," Schlagel said. "At that point, we decided not to risk the thousands of dollars and plant, hoping that we would get water or hoping that we would get rain."
Without reliable irrigation, the family said planting pumpkins would have been too risky.
The cancellation highlights the growing challenges drought poses for agricultural communities across Northern Colorado, where water supplies are increasingly strained.
In a statement to Denver7, the Town of Severance said it feels the impact of the farm's decision deeply.
"The Town of Severance values the historical agricultural heritage and family farms that are part of our community," the statement read. "When operations like Sonrise Farm are forced to make heartbreaking decisions because of drought and water availability, we feel it deeply, as these are our neighbors."
Town leaders said this year's dry conditions have underscored the reality of limited water resources in Northern Colorado. While the town cannot directly assist private farms, officials said they remain involved in regional discussions about water management and encouraged residents to use water responsibly.
For now, Schlagel said all she can do is hope for more rain.
"If we could get half an inch of rain, that would be amazing," she said.
She also hopes the community will return when conditions improve.
"We just hope that our friends will be back next year when we're open again," Schlagel said.
Sonrise Farm said it is not alone — other farmers across Northern Colorado are also making difficult decisions about what crops they can grow as water supplies remain limited.
