Squash and serotonin: Pumpkin patch season gets underway in Eagle County
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When Brooke Smith saw the Vail Salvation Army in Avon had garden space available to the public, some of which had been converted into a pumpkin patch, memories flooded her mind.
Twenty years ago, living in Nevada, Smith had never grown anything in her life, but the idea of growing a pumpkin intrigued her.
“Pumpkins have always been so fun and festive to me,” she said. “One year instead of buying many of them I decided to try and grow them.”
Her first planting yielded “34 gorgeous pumpkins,” she said.
She was hooked. A meeting with Nevada’s giant pumpkin record holder at a fair helped fuel her desire.
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“I watched him wait for the forklift to unload his pumpkin,” she said. “He taught me everything about growing giants and gave me his heirloom seeds from his 1,200-pound pumpkins. The largest one I grew was 350 pounds and we put it on tour and had a ton of fun with it.”
Upon seeing the pumpkin patch in Avon, “in this tiny area, hidden behind an old trailer, I was blown away,” she said. “Not only did you have plots to rent and grow your own food, but there is a greenhouse. You all teach people how to grow their own food by giving them tomato starts and showing them that you can grow your own food, even on a tiny porch. There is a horticulture therapy program where you have worked with the restorative justice system, amongst other great organizations. It’s a proven fact that digging in the dirt creates serotonin.”
Pumpkin party
She has been involved in the programs at the Salvation Army ever since, underwriting this year’s Pumpkin Party on Wednesday.
The Eagle River Fire Protection District showed up with a fire truck for kids to explore, and the Avon Police Department also opened the doors of their police cruiser for kids to crawl around in.
About 30 pumpkins were given away to the children who attended, said Tsu Wolin-Brown with the Salvation Army.
“We’re so grateful that Brooke discovered our gardening program and found it to be inspiring,” Wolin-Brown said. “We work hard to create these programs for the community, and her support and recognition really affirms our efforts.”
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Wolin-Brown said benefactors helping directly in Avon are one of the main ways the Salvation Army is able to continue programs like its “Growing Gardners” summer children’s program, along with the various workshops and classes it offers.
“We’re especially indebted to our benefactors because they allow us to offer these programs for free,” Wolin-Brown said.
Smith said she feels there will always be a need for programs like the Salvation Army’s gardening outreach efforts.
“Growing things is a complete miracle to me,” she said. “Putting a tiny seed in the ground and watching what happens, never gets old to watch. We must continue to connect people to the land. It’s healing.”
