Children from more than 15 Valley schools enjoyed picking a personal pumpkin from the patch.

SAN LUIS VALLEY — More than 1,800 school children from around the San Luis Valley ushered in the first full week of fall by participating in 2018 San Luis Valley School Pumpkin Patch.
The patch, located in Center, was generously provided by farmer Jared Myers of Allied Potato Company Colorado in partnership with the Rio Grande Watershed Conservation Education Initiative (RGWCEI).
At the beginning of the week, thousands of pumpkins sat nestled in untrampled vines, waiting for their new owners to carry them home. After four days of tromping feet, excited screams, and strenuous pumpkin hauling, the patch was looking much loved, although significantly flatter. Still, hundreds of pumpkins remained, and the patch was open for the public the following Monday.
Working farms are an excellent setting to expose kids to food beyond the grocery store. Pumpkin hunting gives enthusiastic children the opportunity to celebrate the local harvest season, enrich their curiosity, and demonstrate how pumpkins and other produce come to be - prickles, dirt, and bugs included.
The event owes a big thank you to the Myers’ and Colorado Allied Potato who have hosted the SLV pumpkin patch for two consecutive years, working diligently at growing thousands of beautiful pumpkins solely for the benefit of the community. If your school groups were not on the contact list for this year and would like to join RGWCEI for next year, please email Bethany Howell at [email protected]. Visit www.rgwcei.org for more information about the Rio Grande Watershed Conservation & Education Initiative, which facilitates K-12 conservation and natural resource activities and field experiences throughout the San Luis Valley.