Last year, a series of heavy rains dented the pumpkin harvest, and just about any pumpkin-pie plans for after Thanksgiving. Nestle, which sells the vast majority of the canned pumpkin category, said that won’t be a problem this year.

Spokeswoman Roz O’Hearn said there will be no such shortage this year.  “We’re in much better shape than this time last year,” she said. “We’re more than one-third of the way through harvest, and not experiencing the heavy, drenching rains that were in that part of Illinois [last year].”

Nestle grows and cans pumpkins in Morton, Ill. O’Hearn said Nestle planted extra pumpkin this year, just in case of another rainy season.

The company began supplying canned pumpkin to local grocery stores about a week ago. However, the 2009 shortage has consumers spooked. O’Hearn said consumers’ pumpkin concerns have inquires to Nestle’s website and consumer hotline up five-fold.