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So
have other Alabama farmers who provide visitors with an opportunity
to pick their favorite pumpkins during October.
Pumpkins
may not rank very high in Alabama’s agricultural statistical charts
but they do provide an economic boost for farmers looking for a way to
supplement their income from other crops.
Many
do more than just grow pumpkins. They turn their farms into a
recreational site with everything from hayrides to mazes. Pies,
preserves and other goodies also are available for sale.
The
Original Great Pumpkin Patch in Blount County is believed to be the
oldest of its kind in Alabama and the Jones family has been actively
involved in it for decades.
Pumpkin
planting usually begins in June and by the end of September they’re
ripe for picking. During the four-month growing season, Jones and other
pumpkin producers pamper their favorite orange crop.
Although
pumpkins may not compete with cotton or cattle for agricultural honors
in the state, it is celebrated in the fall, especially in October at the
Alabama National Fair which is being held Oct. 5-14 in Montgomery.
The
Giant Pumpkin Contest will be held at Garrett Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 7
between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Alabama
National Fair spokeswoman Stephanie Pittman said pumpkins must weigh at
least 50 pounds to be eligible for prize money that includes $300 for
the first place winner, $75 for second and $50 for third. Details are
available at (334) 272-6831.
Pumpkins
are steeped in legend and the word, itself, has had many variations
through the centuries.
The
word originated from the Greek definition of "large melon"
which is "pepon." The French turned it into "pompon"
in their unique nasalized sound while the British came up with "pumpion."
In
his "Merry Wives of Windsor," Shakespeare referred to the
"pumpion." When the word finally reached the colonies in the
"New World," it became pumpkin and found lasting fame in
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," "Peter, Peter,
Pumpkin Eater" and, of course, "Cinderella" in
which a pumpkin winds up as a chariot, of sorts, for the heroine.
Historical
research by the University of Illinois Extension Service found that
Indians dried strips of pumpkins and turned them into mats. They also
roasted long strips of pumpkins over open fires and ate them.
Pumpkin
pies were created when colonists sliced off the top of pumpkins, removed
the seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. Then, the
"full" pumpkin was baked in hot ashes.
Jack-o’-lanterns
originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy
Jack." According to the legend, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to
have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to
pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin
that Jack could use to buy their drinks.
Once
the Devil did it, Jack kept the coin and put it into his pocket next to
a silver cross which kept the Devil from changing back into his original
form. Jack then freed the Devil on one condition—that he would not
bother him for another year and that, should Jack die, the Devil would
not claim his soul.
Long
story short, Jack kept fooling the Devil out of the Devil until the day
he died. As the legend goes, God and the Devil were so upset with Jack
They wouldn’t let him into heaven or hell.
The
Devil sent Jack into the dark night with only a burning coal to light
his way. Jack put the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming
the Earth with it ever since.
In
Ireland and Scotland, people began making their own versions of Jack’s
lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and putting
them into windows near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other
wandering evil spirits.
When
colonists arrived from England, where large beets were used instead of
potatoes or turnips, they found that pumpkins, a native fruit, made
perfect jack-o’-lanterns.
As
the colonies banded together to form the United States of America, the
fall tradition of observing Halloween and using pumpkins to create
jack-o’-lanterns spread across the land.
For
the past four decades, Halloween in America means Linus and his
"Great Pumpkin" search, thanks to the popularity of the
Charlie Brown comic strip and television cartoon series.
Pumpkins,
grown around the world, are a squash fruit that grows as a gourd
from a trailing vine of certain species. Although classified as a fruit,
pumpkins are widely regarded as a vegetable.
They
are 90 percent water and used to be pollinated primarily by the
native squash bee. That species has declined and today, most commercial
pumpkins are pollinated by honey bees.
Unlike
most countries where pumpkins are grown as a food, they are used mostly
for decorations in the U.S., especially at Halloween time. Contests are
held to see which farmer can grow the largest pumpkin. Some top 1,000
pounds. The largest on record weighed in at 1,502 pounds.
When
it comes to the largest pumpkin pie on record, it was five feet across
and weighed more than 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkins,
36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake. It was
unclear just how many slices came out of the big pie.
Americans
aren’t that wild about consuming pumpkin seeds, but they do love their
pumpkin pies in the fall, particularly around Thanksgiving tables.
Pumpkins
are orange because they contain massive amounts of a nutrient that
produces that color. Danny Jones said some of his pumpkins have turned
green due to unfavorable weather conditions.
In
Korea and Japan, "Pumpkin" is a slang word for an unattractive
woman. In the U.S.’s South and Midwest, however, the term is one of
endearment.
Whatever
the definition in other countries, as far as Julie Swann is concerned,
"Pumpkin" is a three-letter word for "FUN."
"It’s
really exciting to see the smiles on the faces of children who come
here," said Swann, who, along with her sister, Pauline, manage the
Original Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden. "That’s part of the fun—to
see boys and girls leave with their favorite pumpkin from our
patch."
Pumpkins
are planted by hand at Jones’ operation. He said he’s never had a
problem with that kind of planting.
"We
drop two seeds into holes that are eight feet apart," he said.
"We have used a plastic drip line in the past, but this year we
just dug into the dirt. So far, so good."
Like
so many other things associated with agriculture, only time will tell
about this year’s pumpkin crop, but Jones is optimistic.
"Our
pumpkins have survived droughts, viruses and other problems through the
years," he said in late August. "Right now, things are looking
pretty good."
Alvin
Benn is a freelance writer from Selma. |
