(MONUMENT, Colo.) — Now that Halloween has passed and Jack-o’-lanterns are beginning to look more sad than scary, it’s time to consider the best way to dispose of your leftover pumpkins.
Vogl Homestead Farm, a small farm in Black Forest dedicated to regenerative agriculture, is holding its 6th annual “Great Pumpkin Rescue,” offering four locations to drop off your pumpkins in any condition, including carved, whole, decorated, or even those that are starting to decay. The farm asks that you remove any candles and plastic decorations before dropping them off.
Vogl Homestead Farm will use the pumpkins that are still in good shape to feed their flock of sheep, and pumpkins that are beyond even a sheep’s taste will be turned into compost to improve the pastures.
There are four drop-off locations between now and Monday, November 10.
- South side of Limbaugh Park: in Downtown Monument
- Swing Park: in Jackson Creek off Gleneagle Drive and Kansas Pacific Court
- Sanctuary Park: on Sanctuary Rim Drive, in the parking lot.
- The Vogl Homestead Farmstead: in the driveway at 7604 Angelholm Road
All locations accept pumpkins with no limits, and two locations will also accept bags of leaves and pine needles. Up to three bags of leaves can be dropped off at the Limbaugh Park location. Larger bags of leaves and pine needles can be taken to the farmstead driveway and have no limit.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) emphasized the importance of safely cleaning up your outdoor pumpkins, noting that leaving pumpkins out for wildlife to eat can lead to unintended consequences.
According to CPW, bears are attracted to pumpkins, especially during their feeding season as they prepare for hibernation. Deer feeding in your yard can attract mountain lions to neighborhoods, and animals such as elk, moose, and deer with calves and fawns can become aggressive to defend their young.
Instead of disrupting the grazing behavior of wildlife, using the leftover pumpkins for sustainable purposes, such as composting and feeding sheep, is an excellent way to responsibly dispose of those sad, wilted Jack-o’-lanterns.
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