Scott Gargan, Staff Writer
For proof that autumn has arrived, look no further than Jones Family Farms in Shelton, where the air is brisk, the tractors are rumbling and the leaves are turning shades of yellow, orange and crimson.
But perhaps the surest sign of the season are the orange orbs that have popped up across the hillside of the Jones' nearby Pumpkinseed Hill Farm, a sight that lures hundreds of families there each week.
"There's some the size of baseballs and others that weigh over 100 pounds," said co-owner Terry Jones, during a bustling Columbus Day on the farm.
Of course, Jones is talking about pumpkins, those fanciful fruits that are carved into jack-o'-lanterns, left on doorsteps, or baked into homemade pumpkin pie.
And across the region, there's no shortage of places -- from farms and festivals to orchards and nurseries -- where you can pick your own.
At Jones Family Farms, visitors can hop on a hayride and head to the pumpkin patch, where the Jones family harvests 500 to 600 tons of the bright orange spheres each year.
"We emphasize the harvest and reconnecting families with the land," said Jones, whose family has owned the farm since 1848. "We're very educationally-oriented. We teach people where their food comes from."