Farms looking for pumpkins after Halloween for animals

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Have undecorated pumpkins after Halloween? Don’t throw them out! There are many local farms that would love pumpkins as a treat for some of the animals.

Sharon Kay with Fawn Crossing Farms says, ”The goats and the pigs love the natural whole food that provides a healthy supplement to their diet. A real treat they enjoy.” The pumpkins for animals need to be undecorated and not decaying.

Farms that would take donated undecorated pumpkins

• Hawksbill Peak Farms at 403 Hawksbill Park Rd. in Stanley. The cows would love some pumpkins, and you can contact the owners here: Hawksbill Peak Farms
• Revercomb Farms at 8259 George Wine Road in Bridgewater. Website: Revercomb Farms
• Endless View Farm at 11621 Zirkle Lane in Broadway, Virginia (Mauzy)
• Fawn Crossing Farms at 4584 Fawn Crossing, Bridgewater, VA. Website: Fawn Crossing Farms
• Loyds Lumber and Excavating at 88 N River Road in Mt. Solon. Kimberly Loyd says, “You can just back up and throw them off and my piggys come running. You can even stay around and give belly rubs if you want to. We also have a cattle field they love them some pumpkins.”
• Jessica Will at 1582 Clover Hill Road in Dayton. You can drop off pumpkins on the porch for the goats and cows.
• The Burkholders at 28 Burkholder Lane in Waynesboro
• Emerald Hills Farm at 8690 McGaheysville Road in McGaheysville. They will have a large container out front for drop off as of November 1. Website: Emerald Hills Farm
• There are several local farms listed on the Pumpkins for Pigs website you can also check those out. Locations include Stuarts Draft, Waynesboro, Luray, New Market, Bentonville, Edinburg, and Toms Brook in Virginia. In West Virginia there is a farm listed in Baker.
• The wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro does accept pumpkins but give them a call before dropping off because sometimes they can get overloaded with donations. They utilize the pumpkins more for enrichment to help decrease stress in captivity. Phone: (540) 942-9453

Or check with a local farmer you know! If you would like your farm added to the list in this story, email Aubrey Urbanowicz at aubrey.urbanowicz@whsv.com.

Leaves

• Virginia Fulginiti will offer leaves for anyone that wants to come and pick them up after she rakes and bags them. This will be at 304 Kensington Dr. in Elkton. You can message her if interested. Message Virginia
• Harmony Harvest farm will take your fall leaves: Check out the story WHSV recently aired with the farm and the need

Harmony Harvest Farm wants your fall leaves

What about decorated pumpkins in good condition?

Check with a local gun club or shooting range. They can use decorated or undecorated pumpkins for target practice.

One location to drop off pumpkins would be at 11515 Orkney Grade in Mt. Jackson. It is recommended that you call first (Becky at 540-333-6668) to make sure they haven’t had an overload of pumpkins.

Pumpkins in the Woods

If you can’t drop them off at a farm, you can always just place them in the woods.

Gary Anderson, Director of the Virginia Department of Wildlife and Resources says other animals wouldn’t mind eating your used pumpkins.

“You can either put them in a landfill or you could put them in the woods you know and have an animal eat that and there’s no real implications to letting a wild animal eat your pumpkin... as long as its not paint,” Anderson said. Pumpkins that are painted need to be thrown out but other pumpkins bring something sweet to wildlife.

“All of a sudden stumbling across this sweet pumpkin is a fun opportunity to have a different source of food,” Anderson said. If you place your pumpkins in the woods, you also won’t have to worry about attracting new friends.

“A lot of people you know believe you put something out and these animals are going to come from the next mountain over to get that food source and no they are really only going to be stumbling across it,” Anderson said.

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