Smash a Pumpkin, Feed a Cow

I lifted the pumpkin over my head and threw it down to the concrete floor. The pumpkin split neatly down the center, exposing seeds and their attendant gooey stuff, while four cows watched. The cows waited while I picked up the halves and put them within their reach. These were substantial carving pumpkins given to us by Cole Gardens in Concord.

Why do I find smashing pumpkins so satisfying? Maybe it's because as a child I was told never to smash pumpkins. Each October, anyone naive enough to leave their jack-o-lanterns out overnight, would find that young delinquents had smashed them in the street. (They already had the technique figured out.) I didn't want to be a bad kid, but I sensed that I was missing out on some fun.

As the name implies, carving pumpkins' primary purpose is to be cut into Jack-O-Lanterns. Once Halloween is past, they no longer have value – except to livestock. While cattle might prefer the taste of sugar pumpkins (also known as pie pumpkins), they aren't picky.

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, N.H., where she raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs and other local products. She can be reached at cas@milessmithfarm.com.