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11/01/14, 05:16 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central IL
Posts: 1,700
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Free pumpkins!
Not a question, but I just wanted to say that we went to our local IGA this morning and all their leftover pumpkins were FREE. I asked the produce manager if he would care if we picked them all up for livestock feed. He said he'd almost pay me to take them.
We ended up with a pickup load, plus. The hogs, chickens, turkeys and cows, to a lesser extent, have been eating pumpkins today.
A week ago I let our local pumpkin patch know that we were interested in buying their pumpkins by the truck load for feed if they were interested.
Free pumpkins are even better!
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11/01/14, 05:32 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Western New York
Posts: 1,306
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Free is good. I can't help but think about peter peter pumpkin eater, had a wife but couldn't keep her, put her in a pumpkin shell and there he kept her very well. I guess this is the season for murder, and chopping up someone to fit into a pumpkin shell. The things we teach are kids. So beware if your family eats too many pumpkins. 
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11/01/14, 05:38 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central IL
Posts: 1,700
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackFeather
The things we teach are kids.
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Ring around a rosie! 
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11/02/14, 05:29 AM
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 107
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Don't forget to save the seeds. Bake and salt some of them. Save others to grow next spring.
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11/02/14, 05:33 AM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 9,511
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Since your local IGA was so generous, keep patronizing that store. While they were happy to see the punkins gone, I'm sure that they took a hefty loss on them. Your local small business can use all the help they can get.
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11/02/14, 04:55 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central IL
Posts: 1,700
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clovis
Since your local IGA was so generous, keep patronizing that store. While they were happy to see the punkins gone, I'm sure that they took a hefty loss on them. Your local small business can use all the help they can get.
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We do. We try to do most of our shopping at the local groceries and a couple of Amish stores nearby. Walmart when I have to.
I do think the stores are able to write off outdated and unsold items on their taxes so may not take that big of a loss. Our local Kroger gives all their outdated produce/bread/etc to our smallish local zoo, which makes me shop from them also (that and their awesome fresh-made sushi!)
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11/02/14, 06:25 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Western New York
Posts: 1,306
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Speaking of pumpkin seeds if I remember right eat 30 to 40 of the shelled seeds and they get rid of worms, I assume raw seeds, not to say you have any worms, but just so you know.
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11/03/14, 11:13 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Indiana
Posts: 276
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One of our patients went home right before Halloween and left his pumpkin-- housekeeping was going to throw it away & I said no I'll take it home to feed the chickens --- I was happy with 1 free pumpkin let alone a truck load-- good score!
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11/03/14, 11:29 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 6
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BlackFeather is right about the seeds. I'm not sure about the quantity of them, but I let all my critters (goats, pigs, chickens, cats, dogs), any that WILL, eat the pumpkins. The seeds are awesome wormers for animals!
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11/03/14, 07:09 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Missouri
Posts: 259
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If you make your own pumpkin pie filling you will never go back. You don't need pie pumpkins, just about any will work. This is a good time to pickup free pumpkins, we can the free pumpkins, roast the seeds and feed the leftovers to the chickens. With a post on the local swap shop board we picked up 12 pumpkins last year for free.
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11/03/14, 08:05 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 21
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Free pumpkins is awesome! I have discovered, however, that most pumpkins grown in our area are pumpkins crossed with gourds, and gourds are toxic, at least to humans, I don't know about critters. Growers are crossing the pumpkins with gourds for the unique shapes and to create a pumpkin that is hard shelled that will last longer. They do not taste good at all, they are hard to skin/carve/hollow, and the seeds are bitter. Not good eats. 
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11/04/14, 12:39 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 1,185
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We had arrangements to do this with a store and wouldn't you know they sold out. Dang it!
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11/04/14, 12:40 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 1,185
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Also, we were at the library yesterday and I saw they had the pumpkins they'd decorated with stacked in a corner. I asked for them. My DH, he just sighed. He can't take me anywhere! I got them though. Only bad thing is I was tossing them out of the truck and an idiot chicken ran out and got whacked. May have to kill it now.
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11/04/14, 12:54 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 3,216
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I took my daughters jack o lantern, as well as a few more pumpkins back to the chickens Monday.
Wish I could post pics, I got a good one of a chicken inside of the jack o lantern. It was about 28 inches tall, about 24 inches wide. Before carving, it weighed close to 100 pounds.
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11/04/14, 04:16 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central IL
Posts: 1,700
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Thanks for all the info. I heard about the worming properties associated with the seeds but completely forgot about it. The animals have thoroughly enjoyed them.
Crazyfarm, one of my turkeys nearly committed suicide by the same method.
My Great Pyr female has a pumpkin too. I didn't smash hers so she ate a hole in and carries it around by the edge of the hole and guards it from her brother. Goofy dogs.
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11/06/14, 06:31 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: northcentral MN
Posts: 14,378
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Are pie pumpkins sweet?
__________________
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin
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11/06/14, 06:35 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 3,216
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Yes..
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11/06/14, 05:09 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: northcentral MN
Posts: 14,378
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Well I should probably just grow them instead of squash next year.
__________________
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin
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11/06/14, 05:13 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 9,511
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On one very short street in our town, I counted 38 pumpkins, most of them not carved, today. Some house have 5 or more sitting out.
Most will keep those as decorations until Thanksgiving, but it sure makes you wonder about how many people would just give them to you if you knocked on the door.
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11/08/14, 05:34 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central IL
Posts: 1,700
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Not as good as free, but I checked with our local pumpkin patch to see if they'd sell any of their leftovers. We got a little over a ton for $30/ton! Seems like pretty cheap feed/treats for all the pigs, cows and poultry.
I bet there's lots of good food that gets plowed into the fields when the season is over with. It's not a waste but it's sure a shame that the produce isn't feeding someone. I once saw some women in the South gleaning a sweet potato field. All we have around here, besides pumpkins is "squirrel corn" and not much of that with the newer harvesting practices.
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