Pretty Pumpkins

Don't stop with orange. This family grows all shapes, sizes, and colors. Look around, you'll be surprised at the variety you'll find.

October tugs tightly on its misty morning blanket, refusing the sun's call to get a move on. Piles of sherbet-toned pumpkins and honey-hued leaves are the first to reflect the break of light punching its way through the fog. And so it comes-yet another day to the fairy-tale setting at Sweet Seasons Farm, where the business of fall is as much a part of this family's life as tending the sheep that graze upon the rolling Appalachian foothills.

Plant an Idea, Grow a Future

Paulette and Richard Manning of Valley Head, Alabama, didn't start out in the pumpkin business; they grew into it. "We began planting them for our children when they were small," says Paulette. "We tried all kinds, even big ones we could put the kids inside of for photos."

One day, Richard came across an article on heirloom pumpkins. "These French pumpkins were unlike anything he had ever seen in the South, and he had to try them," remembers Paulette. The seeds were expensive but worth it. The Manning family marveled over the wildly varying shapes and sizes and the amazing range of colors-dusty blue, vermilion, butterscotch, and even white. Some were smooth and others as warty as a witch's nose.

Word spread about the unusual pumpkins, and soon everyone had to have one. "We now sell primarily to specialty shops, local nurseries, and garden centers," says Paulette.

Why Heirlooms?

Depending on whom you talk to, some believe that an heirloom is any selection that has been grown for a certain number of years. Others are stricter, considering true heirlooms to be from seeds that have been passed down by a family or a group who has preserved them.

Growing heirloom fruits and vegetables offers a taste of yesteryear and is gaining in popularity. If so many swear by the superior flavor of older selections, then why aren't they available everywhere? Newer types are often chosen for mass cultivation because of their ease of shipping, uniform size, and ability to grow well throughout the country. But if you're planting your own, heirlooms are definitely worth a try.

From Field to Front Porch

There's no such thing as growing just one pumpkin. Akin to zucchini, this substantial squash family member (Cucurbita sp.) rewards you with ample bounty. Come harvest, you get creative about what to do with such excess. Because heirloom pumpkins are already so beautiful (or grotesque, depending on the selection), you may not even want to carve yours.

Glancing over his shoulder at the myriad of vignettes that Paulette has artfully composed between the house and the barn, Richard gives a nod and says, "Whatever Paulette doesn't use for decorating, we sell."

Like any kind of farming, growing pumpkins on a large scale takes the heart of a gambler and the faith of a saint. To have them ready for sale, they have to plant seeds no later than the last week in June where Sweet Seasons Farm is located. "We try to save and plant the seeds from choice pumpkins each year," says Paulette "but occasionally, we order from catalogs too."

To conserve precious soil moisture, which is needed for germination and growth, they plant the seeds in ground that has not been tilled. By late August, the prickly, hair-covered vines begin to die back, and harvest begins. It ends roughly three weeks later in midSeptember. The process is tedious but rewarding. The pumpkins are chosen from the field, where the tough stems are carefully cut with a pair of hand pruners. Loaded onto a wagon, they are sorted and stored until orders are delivered or picked up.

Naturally Good

Richard and Paulette are proud to have raised two great children, Suzanne and Justin, who are both enthusiastic business partners and love the land as much as they do. As environmental stewards, the family employs organic practices and always strives to take good care of everything on the farm-from lambs to flowers to pumpkins. Granddaughter Camille, age 8, sums it up best: "Just look at all the miracles on this farm." It's a great place for things to grow.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Oct 2006
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