There is nothing so lovely in the fall next to leaf-peeping then gazing at wide-open fields full of pumpkins on the vine, growing in all sizes and shapes. The bulbous, bountiful gourd may well be the unofficial mascot of October (and, with holiday pie season hot on its heels, November, too), but you might be surprised to learn that far more gourds wind up in the trash than on tables — or, even better, composted.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in the U.S. alone we purchase over a billion pumpkins a year across every state of the union. But once their proclivity for porch-side autumn decor is traded. for twinkly lights and pine scents, a shocking amount of them wind up in landfills — most of the billion, as a matter of fact.
The problem with tossing your pumpkin in the garbage is that a decomposing pumpkin (even worse if it’s in a plastic garbage bag) is, in a landfill, typically buried under layers of other trash. With little access to necessary oxygen, as the pumpkins need in order to break down, the bacteria byproduct produced is methane gas — which, if you haven’t heard, isn’t terrific for the ozone or you, putting gagging pollutants into the air and atmosphere.
The good news: You can avoid this easily. If you aren’t into cutting up and cooking your pumpkins then do the simple thing: compost ’em. That can be as easy as doing it in your own backyard (smashing your Halloween pumpkin is not only the best way to help it break down, it’s also super fun and, bonus, it gives the deer and raccoons something else to eat other than your shrubs) or heading to a local farm or other designated compost site.
This year, the non-profit ReWild Long Island, whose mission is to help our local communities improve their ecosystem’s resilience as well as educate Long Islanders on how to adapt sustainable practices, has put together several pumpkin (and general food scrap) composting sites for you to bring your gourds when they’re decorative usefulness is gone. But remember: they must not contain paint, glue, glitter, wax or bleach; those things don’t exactly go back into the earth. Plain pumpkins, please, at any of these North and South Fork sites…
Deep Roots Farm, 57685 Main Road, Southold
Plop your pumpkins seven days a week during daylight hours at this organic-minded spot in Southold.
Golden Acres Farm, 652 Peconic Bay Blvd., Jamesport
We love this beautiful multi-acre spot dedicated to organic farming (check out our recent story on them to learn more). They welcome you to bring any compostable materials to their farm, pumpkins included, Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Nov. 26.
Share the Harvest Farm, 55 Long Lane, East Hampton
Drop off pumpkins and other gourds on Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (and check out their cute little farm stand while you’re at it).
MTK Community Garden, 9 S. Edison St., Montauk
Accepting all great gourds on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. until noon.
Amber Waves Farm, 367 Main St., Amagansett
Head over to Amber Waves, the nonprofit teaching farm with a heart, and give those gourds back to the earth on Friday, Nov. 7 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
