[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
There is nothing more joyful than coming across a picturesque pumpkin patch in the fall. The Epiphany Parish of Walpole hit the nail right on the head during their Annual Pumpkin Patch. Overflowing on to two lawns, the pumpkins radiated fall and the true essence of Halloween, flanked by scarecrows, and backgrounded by the gorgeous architecture of the church.
Every October, the Epiphany Parish displays and sells thousands of pumpkins that originate from a Navajo Reservation in Farmington, New Mexico, 2,400 miles ago. The reservation employs more than 1,000 Native Americans who raise and harvest the pumpkins. This industry provides a much-needed boost to the reservations’ economy. Each year, over two million dollars are raised through these pumpkins. Seventy-five percent of the money raised through the sale of the pumpkins goes back to the Navajo Reservation. The remaining 25 percent are used towards local community outreach programs and to assist with the sustainability of the church. Organizations that are supported through this money include The Walpole Food Pantry and the American Red Cross.
The pumpkin patch is manned and hosted by volunteers, who give their time graciously. The pumpkin crop arrived on October 2, and the pumpkins remained throughout the month. Each Sunday, in addition to pumpkins, a baked goods table was assembled, and homemade treats were offered as locals picked their pumpkins. Throughout Walpole and the surrounding areas, jack-o-lanterns shone and sparkled on Halloween night, selected from this very patch.
