AUTUMN is well and truly in the air as a popular pumpkin patch reopens for the 2021 season.

Foxes Farm Produce, in Aldham, opens its fields to the public over a series of weekends throughout October.

The first open session gave families the chance to browse from the selection of hundreds of pumpkins which have been harvested at the site.

The event is run by Emily and Guy French.

Emily said: “The picking season has got off to a great start with many people either returning to the patch after visiting during previous seasons, or for the first time.”

Varieties of pumpkin at the site include Crown Prince, which has a grey skin and orange flesh, Munchkin, a hand-sized orange variety, or the Baby Boo, also of miniature size, but with a white skin.

There are more than 15 varieties of pumpkin and squash at the site, which first opened to the public in 2015.

Pumpkins at the farm are planted each May and grow over the summer.

They are then cut from their vines and lifted by hand ready for people to choose.

Many visitors buy the pumpkins to make into Halloween art, but the gourds are also tasty and have become more popular in recent years.

They can be used for soups, hummus, muffins and, of course, the classic pumpkin pie.

Nothing goes to waste.

Visits to the patch are by ticket only.

For more information, go to www.foxesfarmproduce.co.uk.