Hungry animals and local farmers want your leftover Halloween pumpkins

Some southwestern Ontario farms and municipalities are encouraging residents to keep pumpkins out of the trash as the Halloween season comes to an end.

The Great Pumpkin Rescue is an Oxford County-based volunteer group that shares ways people can repurpose their pumpkins, including through recipes, donations and composting.

“There are, quite frankly, benefits to the community when you find a locale [that's] going to take them,” said volunteer Bryan Smith. “Southwestern Ontario will grow as farmers grow more food and sell that locally, which is good for us more broadly … because it’s stimulating the local economy.”

The initiative to repurpose pumpkins started more than a decade ago at Northlane Farm in Thamesford, Ont., which to this day collects pumpkins for its farming operations.

Trixie the cow is one of the many animals at Beaumont Acres in London, Ont., that enjoys eating pumpkins. (Kendra Seguin/CBC News)

Now, the Great Pumpkin Rescue group compiles an annual list of area farms that will take pumpkins, squash and gourds during the first week of November.

“There are quite a number of extremely happy goats, pigs and chickens who just love to eat them,” Smith said. “We want them to be turned into something that feeds farm animals.”

Beaumont Acres, a sanctuary in London, Ont., has been accepting pumpkins from community members every fall since it opened six years ago. Founder Justine Beaumont estimates the farm has already received close to 100 pumpkins and gourds this year.

“Our animals love pumpkins and they’re also great for them. They are great for their gut health and great for their skin,” Beaumont said.

(Kendra Seguin/CBC News)

Beaumont Acres is home to nearly 30 rescue and retired working animals, including horses, pigs, ducks and a cow.

“Our cow, Trixie, loves pumpkins. She’ll come running across the field for them,” she said.

Beaumont said each animal likes a different part of the pumpkin: horses like the seeds, ducks and chickens like the gooey insides, and pigs will eat everything.

“Our pigs also love to play with the pumpkins. They find it very stimulating. They’ll roll them around and play with them like they’re a ball,” Beaumont said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch.”

No paint, no candles allowed

It’s important to assess the condition of pumpkins before deciding where to take them, Smith said, adding that any uncarved pumpkins can be used for homemade meals.

For residents planning to take pumpkins to local animal farms, Smith said it’s important to ensure they are clean and in good condition. Pumpkins should not have any paint, metal, toothpicks, candles, wax or other unsafe-to-eat substances on — or in — them, he said.

At Beaumont Acres in London, Ont., Cupcake the pig enjoys a gourd and piece of pumpkin that nearby residents donated to the farm. (Kendra Seguin/CBC News)

Beaumont said it’s fine if pumpkins come to her farm a bit squishy, but she is asking people to refrain from bringing anything with mold.

Better options for moldy and broken pumpkins include sending them to farms with a digester, Smith said, which breaks down organic materials to produce energy.

Put pumpkins in municipal green bins

It's not just farmers doing the work.

Some municipalities are making it easier for residents who want to give pumpkins a second life.

The City of Woodstock is inviting people to bring their pumpkins to the city’s EnviroDepot, where staff will help sort and distribute them into the community.

Meanwhile, Tillsonburg is accepting pumpkins at the Tillsonburg Transfer Station, which will be repurposed for community meals and livestock. It also invites locals to come take the collected pumpkins for any of their own needs.

Residents in London, Ont., can put unpainted pumpkins directly into their city green bin. (Michelle Both/CBC)

Both municipalities are asking that pumpkins are free from paint, rot, rust, wax, metal, plastic and sharps.

Another option is for residents to put their leftover pumpkins into the green bin, Smith said.

The City of London recommends cutting pumpkins into smaller pieces before adding them to the green bin or yard waste bags. Residents can also place them directly next to the green bin during the first week of collection following Halloween.

If pumpkins are painted or otherwise do not meet the safe criteria, they must go in the garbage, the city website says.

Where else can you take pumpkins?

The Great Pumpkin Rescue has a list of other locations where people can drop off pumpkins until the end of the week:

• Little Fields Farm, 867207 Township Rd 10, Bright, Ont.

• Breezy Maple Lane Farm, 806090 Oxford Road 29, Innerkip, Ont.

• Kiwanis’ Community Garden, 108 Wonham St. South, Ingersoll, Ont.

• Nieuw Family Farm, 4566 Kelvin Rd, Scotland, Ont.

• The Smith’s, 70 Glenn Avenue, Sweaburg, South-West Oxford, Ont.

• Milky Way Farms, 484872 Sweaburg Rd, Woodstock, Ont.

• Little Hobby Hill Farm, 333624 Plank Line, Salford, Ont.

• Jon and Vicki Seibring’s Good Nature Eco Farm, 135148 13th Line, Thamesford, Ont.

• Matt McCuttchen and Sam Boyce’ Northlane Farm 662742 Road 66 Thamesford, Ont.

• Lara Martin-Dow and Stephen Dow, Rolling Stone Boers, 375158 37th Line Zorra Township, Ont.

Thumbnail courtesy of Kendra Seguin/CBC News.

The story was originally written by Kendra Seguin and published for CBC News.