Over 15,000 lbs. of Pumpkins Smashed at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots

Thursday, November 14, 2024

On Saturday, November 9, 402 families participated in the Naperville Park District’s annual Pumpkin Smash at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots. Volunteers counted and weighed jack-o-lanterns and decorative pumpkins from Halloween while families enjoyed smashing and composting them into the garden’s soil. Composting pumpkins is a great way to keep waste out of the landfills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a natural fertilizer for the soil. This year, a total of 1,348 pumpkins were dropped off, weighing in at 15,350 lbs.

Additionally, earlier this fall, volunteers gleaned any remaining produce left over after the garden plots closed and donated it to Loaves & Fishes Community Services. Gleaning is the act of collecting excess fresh food from farms, gardens and other sources in order to provide it to those in need. 1,077 lbs. was collected throughout the gardening season and an additional 1,025 lbs. was collected on Monday, October 21 during the Garden Plots’ Gleaning Day, totaling to 2,102 lbs. of produce donations.