Annual Pumpkin Smash Planned In Bernards Township

LIBERTY CORNER, NJ — The Bernards Township Agricultural Advisory Committee will host its third annual pumpkin smash next month, an event designed to help residents dispose of their Halloween pumpkins in an environmentally-friendly way.

This year's smash will be held Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dogwood and English farms, according to a news release. Attendees can bring their own pumpkins or just show up to smash a gourd or two, organizers said. Once smashed, the pumpkins are fed to livestock.

"The event keeps the pumpkins out of the trash and are used as feed for the chickens and the pigs. It's a win-win," committee member Gary Baumann said in a statement.

While biodegradable, an estimated 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins end up in U.S. landfills each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Last year, more than 250 people attended the event, smashing an estimated 225 pumpkins, organizers said.

According to the committee, residents can also bring old pumpkins to Dogwood and English farms during the week leading up to the smash.