Henry DeBlouw lets out a stifled chuckle when he says, “I’m Henry the Fifth,” but his job as vice president of operations for Mike Pirrone Produce Inc. is a serious matter.

His father, Henry IV, is known by his nickname, Butch. The DeBlouws bought Mike Pirrone Produce this past winter from Joe Pirrone, whose father founded the Capac, MI-based operation in 1951.

“My dad and Joe have been business partners for over 25 years,” said Mr. DeBlouw. “Joe continues to work here overseeing sales. He is a major part of our team. The company culture hasn’t changed, and in fact nothing has changed. I’ve been working in the business since I was a kid, and we’re still the same strong team that we’ve always been.”

In late July, Mike Pirrone Mixed heirloom pumpkins at Mike Pirrone Produce.Produce was picking trellis cucumbers, which run through mid-September, along with Bell peppers, eggplants, squashes, cabbage, zucchini and a full line of specialty chili peppers.

“All of our cucumbers and pickles are on trellises to keep them raised for better shape and cleaner product,” Mr. DeBlouw explained.

Following its summer vegetable program, the company will move into its fall crops, which include hard squashes, a wide variety of pumpkins, gourds, decorative corns and numerous other fall products that are loved for their decorative as well as their eating qualities. If there’s a pumpkin, decorative corn or gourd variety, it’s likely in Mike Pirrone Produce’s lineup.

“We do all of the hard squashes and gourds,” said Mr. DeBlouw. “Our corn line includes tiger-striped, mini Indian and large Indian, strawberry (which are minis with red kernels) and white mini, just as examples. Our pumpkin line is also vast. From mini pumpkins to jack-o’-lanterns, we have the full range. Our heirloom pumpkins are older varieties and we sell them in a mixed bin. In it you’ll find reds, flats and other shapes and colors.”

This season, Mike Pirrone Produce will be participating in growing pink pumpkins as a part of the Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation. Pumpkins will be sold Sept. 10 through Oct. 30 and a percentage of earnings will be donated to organizations to support breast cancer research.

The fall line is strongly geared toward decoration use, even those that are referred to as “pie” pumpkins. But Mr. DeBlouw noted that the blue Jarrahdale heirloom pumpkin makes a great soup.

Gourds, Indian corn, mini Indian corn, all pumpkins except giant pumpkins and turbans start moving at the company on Sept. 1. Giant pumpkins start on Sept. 15.

Acknowledging the dry weather this year, Mr. DeBlouw said the vegetable crops are in great shape because they are irrigated. But in late July, the company was doing a rain-dance in hopes of some moisture to help bring in the fall crops. He said that the forecast at the time included some rainfall in the following week.

Mike Pirrone Produce’s customers are primarily retailers, and it sells to wholesalers and distributors. Mr. DeBlouw said that a lot of its crops are distributed from Boston to Atlanta, with the New York region being exceptionally strong.

The company is compliant with the Produce Traceability Initiative, and it follows a strict food-safety program undergoing yearly third-party inspections and abiding by Good Agricultural Practices.

“Bringing the freshest produce to our customers begins during the growing process,” said Mr. DeBlouw. “We’ve ensured that our growers use the latest in agricultural techniques, which maximize land use, making us a national leader in the marketing of high-quality produce.”

Updated farming techniques the company has initiated, besides growing cucumbers on trellises, include planting rye in pumpkin fields to keep the pumpkins off the dirt and using plastic culture to reduce the need for pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. These processes reduce Mike Pirrone Produce’s carbon footprint and increase the natural nutrients in its vegetables.

Mr. DeBlouw said that demand for decorative pumpkins, corn and gourds is very strong at Halloween today.

“People like to decorate with these items throughout the fall and winter months, but Halloween is pretty darn good,” he said. “Things in the fields are looking great right now, so we’re looking forward to a strong season.”