Make a Cow Happy in Missoula, Here’s What to Do With Your Pumpkins

Have you seen the videos online of animals happily eating pumpkins? Videos like this one from the Toledo Zoo:

It may not be hippos, but you'll have an opportunity to make some animals in Missoula very happy with some pumpkins of their own.

6th Annual Soil Cycle Pumpkin Reharvest

When you're done with your pumpkins this spooky season, don't just throw them away. You can keep them out of the landfill and donate them to Soil Cycle who will then deliver them to Turner Family Farms. But not just any pumpkin can be donated. We checked in with Elisabeth Davidson, Executive Director for Soil Cycle Missoula, and she specified exactly what can be donated.

"Donated pumpkins should be free from paint, candles, toothpicks, and plastic. This is both for the safety of the animals we will be feeding as well as making sure that we aren't leaving waste behind at Turner Family Farms," Davidson said.

If you have a pumpkin you'd like to donate, here are the details:

When: Sunday, November 5th - Saturday November 11th

Where: Soil Cycle, Sussex Elementary School, MUD, and Rockin' Rudy's

After the pumpkins are donated they'll feed mostly goats and cows, but some chickens, too. And donating pumpkins instead of throwing them away can help to significantly reduce waste. Soil Cycle shared that, "...out of the 1.3 billion pumpkins that are produced in the US each year, about 1 billion of those get taken to the landfill. That’s about 77% of US pumpkins in our landfills."

Keep this helpful program in mind and save your pumpkins until November 5th.