Celebrate this year's bumper crop of pumpkins
By Michaela Kennedy

Cameron Chadronet, 5 and Claire Chadronet, 2, were the cutest pumpkins in the patch at the Jamestown Community Farm. Photo by Sam Bari

Hundreds of rich orange, vineripened pumpkins lie in wait at the corner of East Shore Road and Eldred Avenue for Pumpkins Days, a harvest party, this weekend. From pumpkin picking to horse-drawn hay rides, the Jamestown Community Farm will be hopping with harvest celebration on Sunday, Oct. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m.

The autumn bounty will then be spotlighted in a cooking demonstration on Monday, Oct. 15, starting at 7 p.m. at the Conanicut Grange on West Street. All donations, $5 for the field fun day and $20 for the cooking event, will support funds for the grange.

The crop is bumper this year, according to Lynda Sutton, one of the mangers of the farm. Last year, few pumpkins were produced and the cooking event did not happen. This fall, however, the harvest is so strong that the party is on for the second time ever.

This weekend of pumpkin frenzy marks a cultural event celebrated country-wide. Sutton recognized the all-American theme by chance through a telephone conversation. She went on to invite a story production crew to cover the festive fun for a national magazine.

Sutton was in the middle of baking sugar pumpkins at home when a business call came in from Country Gardens, a quarterly publication from Better Homes and Gardens. When Sutton told her editor what she was doing, the editor suggested turning the seasonal event into a story.

"We want to show people there's a lot more you can make with pumpkins beyond pie," Sutton noted. Tasty triumphs may include specialties such as pumpkin risotto and pumpkin créme brulee.

Roasting the little sugar pumpkins brings out a smooth sweetness, as proven by Sutton when she offered a sample of the cooked squash-like vegetable. One taste proves that the simple process of baking unleashes fresh goodness not found in a can.

Kevin Gaudreau and Phil Larson, both locally acclaimed chefs and residents of Jamestown, will demonstrate recipes with sugar pumpkins. Participants will do their share by eating the creations and taking home pumpkins to try recipes themselves.

The community farm, which donates organic garden produce to local organizations, boasts a successful year in volunteer hours for the bounty also. Over 100 pairs of helping hands pitched in. "We had people when we needed them," Sutton said. She gave credit to many young helpers who joined the effort, and to Central Baptist Church. Certificates for volunteer hours were awarded at a special harvest dinner given for the helpers.

The Pumpkin Days festivities showcase the main reason why the community farm exists, to yield food for the needy and educate the public on the value of agriculture preservation. Running through pumpkin patches with homemade cookies and cider paint a clear picture of the local living culture. Nick Robertson will be on hand for hayrides with his horse-drawn wagon.

Reservations are required for the pumpkin cooking event. To reserve a seat, or learn more about the festivities, please contact Sutton at 423-0910.

Rain date for the community farm event is Oct. 21.