Raising pumpkins is a very time consuming and labor-intensive venture! In May we worked the ground to prepare for planting. In early June we planted over 8000 pumpkin and gourd seeds with an antique John Deere lister, planting over 6 acres of pumpkins! July through October are filled with sweaty days of hoeing weeds, fertilizing, irrigating, and spraying to eliminate bugs that harm pumpkins.
Pumpkin Varieties
Different pumpkin varieties grow to different sizes, shapes and colors. This year we planted 30 varieties of pumpkins and 47 varieties of gourds for 77 varieties to choose from! Lumina is a popular white variety that can grow to 15 pounds. Jack B Little and Bumpkin is our mini-variety, while Prizewinners can grow to over 170 pounds. Aladdin and Howden Biggies are large varieties that can grow to over 70 pounds. Jackpot, Magic Lantern, Merlin and Sorcerer all grow up to 30 pounds and make a nice mid-size jack o' lantern. Autumn Gold is a beautiful smaller pumpkin up to 15 pounds with perfect shape and color. I plant two varieties of pie pumpkins called Small Sugar and Mystic Plus. These varieties have a sweeter taste to use for cooking. We have many recipes available for people that would like to try their hand cooking with fresh pumpkin puree.
Red Barn Country Store
We have a variety of Fall products available in our Red Barn Country Store, including candles, pumpkin recipe books, children's pumpkin and farming books, bracelets, carving kits, handmade specialty pens, and fleece blankets for chilly October days. We have shocks and straw bales available for Fall decorating.
Fun Pumpkin Facts
Pumpkin seeds cans be roasted for a snack
1 cup of fresh pumpkin puree contains 564 mg potassium and 2650 IU of Vitamin A
Pumpkins are used as feed for animals
Pumpkin flowers are edible
Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies, breads and many other foods
Pumpkins are 90% water
Pumpkins are classified as a fruit
Native American Indians called pumpkins "isqoutm squash"
Pumpkins are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits.
Colonists removed the seeds and filled the inside of pumpkins with milk, spices and honey.
. . . . . . This was the origin of pumpkin pie!
Native American Indians flattened strips of pumpkins and dried them to make mats
Native American Indians used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine
Pumpkins have a stem, skin, tendrils, leaves, pulp and seeds
Pumpkins are loaded with beta-carotene, an important antioxidant.
1 cup of pumpkin puree has 12 mg of Vitamin C, 49 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrates
