The University of Idaho Soil Stewards are hosting their free annual U-Pick Pumpkin Patch event Saturday, Oct. 2nd from 11a.m. until 3p.m.
The event will be at 425 Farm Road. For individuals who don’t wish to drive, there will be two CNR vans picking people up from the tower lawn and leaving every 30 minutes.
Anyone that shows their Vandal ID will receive their first pumpkin for free. “We already have a recorded number of 820 pounds” said Ezmy Perez, the Vice President of the Soil Stewards Club.
There will also be a photo booth with hay bales, free drinks, free pumpkin recipes, and free pumpkin painting. Vandal Entertainment is organizing the painting section. “We like to have small pumpkins for people to paint because the dorms don’t allow the carving of pumpkins,” Cami Ditton, the Soil Stewards Club president, said.
The Department of Student Involvement will be subsidizing the student’s pumpkins. “We’ll weigh it out for you, show your Vandal ID, you get to take your pumpkin home,” Ditton said. “It doesn’t matter how much it weighs, you just get to take it.”
All proceeds from additional pumpkins purchased will go back towards the self-sustaining Soil Stewards Club. The club is made up of students, alumni and Moscow community members. It’s for anyone that wants to learn about organic farming.
The club seeded all the pumpkins by hand in a greenhouse last March. “We get to be certified organic, teach people how to enter the organic world, because there is a huge barrier to entry and knowledge for organic growing,” Ditton said. “We teach you how to farm, how to market, how to seed, how to seed save, all of that stuff.”
Students who are interested in participating in the club are welcome to speak to Perez or Ditton about potential involvement.
“I love this club. They gave me free produce at Palousafest my freshman year and I’ve been sold ever since,” said Ditton. “If anyone has any interest in that, they can come talk to us.”
Any leftover pumpkins from the event will be donated to the Moscow Food Bank, Community Supported Agriculture, and Food Not Bombs.
“Come test out your Halloween costume and get some really cute pumpkin photos,” Ditton said. “Free ride, free pumpkin, you can paint your pumpkin there if you want to, get some hot cider, take the bus back, call it a Saturday.”
Donald Scott Hammar can be reached at [email protected]