where to donate pumpkins after halloween

by Adeline Kozey 7 min read

Pass Along Your Pumpkins
See if you can donate leftover pumpkins to zoos, animal shelters, farms, or community gardens. They'll be grateful for the compost material or animal snacks. Look local; some towns do a pumpkin collection drive after Halloween, and some farms put out calls for local pumpkin donations.
Oct 6, 2021

What is the reason for carving pumpkins on Halloween?

Oct 26, 2021 · By donating pumpkins for their composting needs, you’re not only giving back to the environment but to your country, too. They plan to host a fall pumpkin drive to make donating even easier. 469 ...

When should you plant a pumpkin for Halloween?

Oct 01, 2021 · In the U.S., 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkin ends up in landfill every year. These are more eco-friendly ways to dispose of your Jack-O'-Lanterns after Halloween.

Why do we put pumpkins out for Halloween?

With the gracious help from a life-long friend who makes websites for a living, we now have PumpkinsForPigs.org. From October through mid-December you are encouraged to donate your un-carved, non-inked/non-painted pumpkins to your local farm or sanctuary. (Some organizations will also take them for compost so inquire!)

What happens to all the Pumpkins after Halloween?

Donate the Pumpkins If you haven’t sprayed your carved pumpkins with insect killers or other harmful chemicals, you can donate them to your local zoo or animal shelter. This is another safe and eco-friendly method to dispose of unwanted pumpkins.

image

What do I do with pumpkin after Halloween?

Eat Them!Make pumpkin pie. The "meat" inside a pumpkin, once the seeds and stringy interior have been scooped out, can be made into fresh pumpkin puree and used in a pie. ... Make pumpkin soup. ... Make a pumpkin spice latte with actual pumpkin. ... Roast pumpkin seeds. ... Make vegetable stock. ... Make pumpkin bread.Nov 1, 2021

What can I do with old pumpkins?

You can recycle your pumpkin and turn it into a “snack-o-lantern” or a pumpkin feeder! These are easy to make and the squirrels and birds will love them. Just make sure to only use firm, fresh pumpkins. If they are getting soft and squishy or moldy, composting them is a better idea.Dec 20, 2021

Will zoos take pumpkins?

Yes, it's generally safe for wildlife to eat discarded pumpkins and in fact, many zoos and shelters take pumpkin donations for their animals. However, animals shouldn't eat pumpkins that you wouldn't eat yourself. But composting is the best way to discard your pumpkins.Oct 15, 2021

Can I leave pumpkin out for wildlife?

The good news is that pumpkins – provided they aren't painted or coated – are safe, nutritious and delicious for wildlife. And wild animals love pumpkins.Oct 26, 2021

How do you dispose of a rotten pumpkin?

If your pumpkin is rotting, opt for just throwing it in your compost bin. Any sign of mold indicates that your pumpkin should be composted rather than repurposed, and the mold may be harmful to animals or plants if left outside in a garden.Nov 14, 2017

What is eating my pumpkins at night?

A variety of creatures eat pumpkins – including ants, fruit flies, squash bugs, groundhogs, and other rodents. Some will consider your pumpkins tasty treats as soon as you put them out as decorations.Oct 8, 2020

Will possums eat pumpkins?

0:144:52Opossum Eating Pumpkins in Garden-Release from Live Animal ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOkay so now we're gonna have to let him go because we're not killing possums I like possums nightMoreOkay so now we're gonna have to let him go because we're not killing possums I like possums night tell me that face is so cute. So you're the one that ate my pumpkin you're eating all my squash.

How to make a bird feeder out of a pumpkin?

Either leave it out as is or hang it from a tree with several lengths of thick twine or rope wrapped under the base.

Can you make a compost pile with pumpkins?

Turn pumpkin smashing into a fun family activity; you probably won't have to look far to find willing participants.

Welcome to Pumpkins for Pigs!

Our mission is to match pigs (and other pumpkin-eating animals) with un-carved, non-inked/non-painted pumpkins to prevent them from being thrown in the landfill. They are excellent feed and a wonderful treat to the animals on the farms and sanctuaries. They also make great compost.

Work With Your HOA

Want to make the most of your trip to the farm or sanctuary? Put up fliers in your neighborhood and create a collection point, selecting a day or two during the season to take your donated pumpkins in one trip. Its easy. Just work with your HOA to get permission to post. Talk to your neighbors and get to know them.

Get Your Farmer Involved

If you go out to the country and buy pumpkins, ask them if they will accept them back as donations at the end of the season. Often, they have pig farms they work with to take those pumpkins they didn’t sell and will accept them as part of their pick up.

Community Involvement & Awareness

Create fliers and post them in your local coffee shops, salons, and restaurants to get the word out that there is a better way to dispose of their pumpkins!

How did Pumpkins for Pigs come to be?

Seems so simple. Well, it was. I was feeling increasingly guilty I didn’t have a better way to dispose of my decorative pumpkins come Thanksgiving. So, I kept them until Winter officially started – yeah, we looked weird having pumpkins with a winter holiday wreath on the door but I was biding my time hoping I’d come up with something.

What to do with pumpkins for Halloween?

Not every idea for your funny Halloween pumpkins is food-related. On the contrary, there are lots of cool things to do with pumpkins for Halloween. One of those is to use them as decoration. Here are just a few top ideas to consider: 1 Thanksgiving decoration – take out the flesh entirely and keep the skin only. Use the pumpkin to stock inside some leaves and fresh flowers. In a breeze, you’ll have the perfect decoration for your Thanksgiving dinner; 2 Porch upgrade – you can carve your house number on the pumpkin or simply put it on top of leaves to instantly upgrade your porch. Don’t forget to spray it with hair spray to prevent it from rotting; 3 Fall-themed home decoration – dedicate a corner in your house to your favorite season. Put the pumpkin alongside some leaves, sticks, and flowers for the perfect fall-themed decoration; 4 Candy container – remove the upper part of the squash and take out the flesh. You should get a bowl-like form, which you can use as a candy container for some time; 5 Flower vase – give your Jack-O-Lantern a vase-like shape and varnish it or even paint it. Then, you can use it as a unique flower vase during the entire season.

What to do with leftover pumpkins?

A great way to deal with leftover Halloween pumpkins is to bake pumpkin bread. This delicious recipe takes about an hour and a half to prepare. It’s the closest cousin to banana bread and will spice up your dinner nicely.

What do you need to make a pumpkin spice latte?

All you need is Jack-O-Lantern puree, pumpkin pie spice, milk, brewed coffee, and sugar to create a real pumpkin spice latte! This hot drink is among the most popular holiday drinks in Starbucks each winter season. Thanks to your leftover Jack-O-Lanterns, you can make it yourself and enjoy it with your friends and family. Homemade pumpkin spice latte saves money and tastes better!

How long does pumpkin puree last?

Then, remove the skin and mash the guts, no seeds. Once prepared, pumpkin puree can last for nearly a week in your refrigerator.

Can you compost a pumpkin?

Well, you can do this with the help of your leftover pumpkin. Compost feeds the soil, protects against droughts, and has many other positive benefits. To compost your Halloween Jack-O-Lantern, you need to cut it up to speed up the process. Just make sure to remove the seeds before putting in into the compost.

How long to boil pumpkin soup?

To cook this dish, you need a peeled and chopped pumpkin, onion, garlic and broth. Put all ingredients in a pot with water and boil for 15 minutes.

What is the best gift to give after Halloween?

Pumpkin is one of the gifts that keep on giving even after Halloween. Those who love sugary food should make pumpkin jam this season. It’s so good, people say they eat it plain, out of the jar with a spoon.

Pumpkin recipes will spice up your fall

If you’re carving any jack-o'-lanterns this year, make sure to save every bit of the pumpkin, from the insides to the skin to the seeds.

Old pumpkins can be composted

Whether the pumpkins you’ve put on your stoop are still in decent condition or completely rotten by the end of Halloween season, they are the perfect addition to any compost pile — just make sure to remove any decorations first, such as candles or ribbons.

Composting a pumpkin is easy

If you don’t typically compost, now might be the perfect time to start. Check out our guide to starting a backyard compost, and our guide to composting while living in an apartment.

Drop your pumpkin at a special community compost drop-off spot for pumpkins

Many communities install temporary compost bins for residents to drop off their old pumpkins at the end of Halloween season — and they can be very effective at curbing landfill waste this time of year. For example, the city of Thunder Bay, Calif.

Zoos often accept old pumpkin donations

In addition to municipalities, some zoos accept donations of old pumpkins, which zookeepers give to animals to play with and eat.

Better yet, donate leftover pumpkins to an animal sanctuary

While zoos capture wild animals, breed them, and force them to live in confined, cramped conditions much unlike their natural habitats, animal sanctuaries rescue animals from situations of abuse and neglect, making them a more ethical place to visit and support with your donations.

image