Pumpkins, Pupkins, Pokins and Putkins.

So I have tried to write this post about 100 times but find myself struggling to get it all down on paper.  Not because I don't have anything to say about pumpkins but because I have too much.  I LOVE the pumpkin fields around my families' homes.  Every time we go out to the farm, we see hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins.  The boys start screaming "pupkin, pupkin, pupkin" or "pokin, pokin" and sometimes even "putkins".  Yeah, I find myself screaming the same thing too.  How silly is that?!  I mean they are just pumpkins, we see them every year in a store, we buy them, put them on our porches, sometimes carve them and that is it.  But this is different, so different.  I have seen these pumpkins grow from seeds, to vines, to blossoms and now full on pumpkins.  It might be the coolest thing I have ever experienced.  Seeing them doesn't get old and I find myself looking forward to the next time I will be out in the pumpkin patch.

Migrant workers pile up the pumpkins so that workers can load them in buses
and wagons to be transported back to farms and eventually to grocery stores
and markets across the country.  Thanks Tammy Yochum for this great pic!

Mouzin Farms rented the land around the Hinkle compound to grow pumpkins this year.  In June and even July, the fields weren't that impressive.  With all the rain that we had, it took awhile for the pumpkin crop to get going.  Even after the the vines came up, I wasn't sure if there would be a lot of pumpkins to look at. The pictures below were taken on July 19th (we have pumpkins, a little green but they are starting to grow).  The fields still look pretty bare.

Harrison touching a "young" pumpkin.

Oliva and Thomas Weintraut enjoying the pumpkin fields on their visit in July.

Once August hit and the heat settled in, the pumpkins took off.  Did you know that farmers put bee boxes near the pumpkin fields so that the bees can pollinate the pumpkin plants?  Without pollination, we would not have pumpkins.  Did you know that the state of Illinois grows over 90% of the processed pumpkins in the US.  I personally believe that number is lower because there are more and more pumpkins being grown in southern Indiana.  Here is a fun link to learn more about pumpkins.  http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/facts.cfm

What I am blown away at is how much labor is involved with harvesting these orange wonders.  The workers harvesting the fields around my sister and brother-in-law's home were from Florida.  These men would take what looked like hedge clippers and walk through the fields and clip the pumpkins that were ripe and ready to go.  Another group would pick and line up all the pumpkins.  Finally another group would form an assembly line, pick and then toss one by one the pumpkins to the man next to them until it got to the wagon or bus.  Once there, one man was responsible for stacking, very carefully, all the pumpkins for transportation.  I have been told that this is an art and takes much skill to maximize the number of pumpkins on the wagon or bus while making sure that none fall off during transportation.

A bus load ready to head to Mouzin Farms for processing.

Pumpkins up close in the bus.

The little boys and I have especially enjoyed the pumpkin fields this year.  Harrison is OBSESSED with pumpkins.  He will pick them up and carry them around like a baby.  He runs from one pumpkin to the next, each one seeming more exciting then the first.  Mac follows right behind, touches the pumpkin and yells, "pupkin!".

Tammy, my sister-in-law, told me that they are planning on picking the fields three times and then will be done.  Let me just say that the Hinkle house will have more pumpkins then they know what to do with this year because I have a feeling there will be plenty of pumpkins left after Mouzin Farms is done with them. The invitation is open if you want to come to Knox County to pick your pumpkins :).  The more the merrier.  No worries, I will post a picture of all of our pumpkins on our beautiful front porch once we are done.  This city girl can't wait for fall to officially be here to celebrate her favorite time of year.  But, I think I may be able to celebrate a little early since the pumpkin crop is in full bloom.  Cheers to the BEST time of year!