A well carved crop

     Every year thousands flock to Keene to marvel at the small towns’ hefty appetite for festivity. However, many are too distracted by the Keene Pumpkin Festival phenomenon to appreciate the countryman’s sweat, arduously embedded in its preparation.

    Behind the crafting and display of pumpkins, comes the past year’s planting and nourishing.

    Pumpkin agriculture is often only recognized for its efforts on Halloween, but local and regional pumpkin farms alike combine efforts annually to provide the hefty crop essential to Pumpkin Fest.  

     All Keene State College students can recall their first Pumpkin Fest. On Friday afternoon, hastily making one’s way to the Fiske Quad, awaiting the infamous Pumpkin Lobotomy. And then one’s state of guffaw and amazement when a truck drove down Appian Way, carting over 2,000 gourds, emptying them before hundreds of eager students.

    Amidst all the excitement, many students find their initial question unanswered; Where on earth did these pumpkins come from?

    KSC has long been familiar and friendly with local pumpkin farmers. Dining Commons head chief, Rich Ducharme, said this year’s pumpkin logistics have changed since last year. He explained how, in past years, the college bought pumpkins from local farms to contribute to Keene’s local economy.

    “Local is better,” Ducharme said. “It has really paid off in the past; no shipping and it’s all around cheaper.”

    Although this ballooning of funds is desirable, Ducharme said no one local establishment is big enough to accommodate or produce the number of pumpkins KSC desires.

    Assistant vice president for student affairs Paul Strifflino agreed and said, “The local farms don’t give us the pumpkins that we need so we’ve had to go sometimes to Maine, sometimes down to Connecticut in order to buy the volume of pumpkins. So, in order to get 1,800 or this year 2,000 pumpkins, you’ve got to go to pretty massive agricultural set-up.”

    Because of this predicament, last year KSC opted to buy all pumpkins from one farm located in Maine. The farm dedicated an entire field to the lofty needs of the college. However, problems arose when, on the day of Pumpkin Lobotomy, trucks hauling the pumpkins from Maine hit traffic, tragically delaying the festivities.

    Ducharme said every year is a learning experience and this year more changes were undertaken. This year KSC decided to acquire gourds from Gladstone Farm, in Bradford, Vt. To avoid delays for Friday’s Lobotomy, Ducharme said the college requested the pumpkins be delivered two days in advance and held at Blackwater Produce, the farm used primarily by the Dining Commons.

    Besides facilitating a smooth transmission of goods, agriculture is notorious as one of the most fickle trades. Although New England seldom faces threats such as drought, inconsistent sunlight or rain, increased humidity or contamination of soil are a few potential headaches for N.E. farmers. These factors can affect the pumpkin’s physical appearance, the most important property to the plants’ role in Pumpkin Fest traditions.

    Junior Student Body Trustee Justin Sadzewicz has been involved in three previous Pumpkin Fests and observed a change in the sizes of each year’s harvest.

    He said, “In years past they maybe seemed a bit smaller than normal.”

    Striffolini also advises student government and has overseen many Pumpkin Fests during his tenure at KSC. He said size isn’t the only variation among the gourds.

    “In past years sometimes the pumpkins are all green and it has something to do with weather conditions,” Striffolino said. “We’ve gotten them when they’ve been muddy and filthy and so the students have gotten filthy craving them but they do it anyway.”

    Small, large, green or muddy, student excitement and enthusiasm for the annual festivities rarely falters.

     Rather, it provides even more unforeseen amusement while exploring and investigating the displayed final products in downtown Keene.

Tara Nathan can be contacted at tnathan@keeneequinox.com.