That big orange orb on your porch? It might have come from this Manteca-area farm

The pumpkin harvest is in its bright orange glory at Perry & Sons, a grower near Manteca that is one of the state’s largest.

Perry and other producers are busy with the Halloween market, the only time of year, apparently, that people place a hefty piece of produce on their porches.

San Joaquin is California’s top pumpkin county by far. Its agricultural commissioner estimated about $17 million in gross income to farmers in 2017. Stanislaus County reported $3.4 milllion.

Perry sells several sizes and shapes of pumpkin from a few farms supplying its packing plant just off Highway 99 near Manteca’s north edge. It also offers several other types of squash, watermelon, Indian corn and gourds.

The family has farmed there since 1925, when Delphino Perry started a dairy after immigrating from the Azores Islands. It evolved into a squash and watermelon business that now involves a fourth generation.

This story was originally published October 11, 2018 at 7:20 AM.