Smashing Pumpkins—Making Use of Leftover Pumpkins
The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with I Love A Clean San Diego and San Diego County Sustainability hosted its first-ever Pumpkin Smash . . . the day after Halloween.
The event took place on Sunday, November 21st from 12:30-3:30PM at the Lakeside Community Center.
Attendees used provided baseball bats and hammers to smash their jack-o'-lanterns.
A collection point was established for clean, gently-used Halloween costumes to be reused next year.
There were educational booths on organic waste recycling, seed planting activities with local seed groups, games, and free compost pickup.
After the smashing, there was plenty of animal food and compost.
Oma’s Farm received about 1,000 pounds of clean pumpkin scraps to feed goats whereas Pebble Ranch Rescue received about 1,000 pounds of whole pumpkins to feed pigs (along with other local farm animals like sheep).
Spoiled, moldy, or broken-down pumpkins—plus extra donations from partners like Albertsons and Grocery Outlet—were sent to organic waste dumpsters and processed with help from San Pasqual Valley Soils, offering free compost back to local residents.
Due to the event's popularity, organizers from the County of San Diego Communications Office plan to make the Pumpkin Smash an annual tradition.
Information from County of San Diego Facebook, Mato Events and I Love a Clean San Diego
Comments