PORT ANGELES — SisterLand Farms is collecting unwanted pumpkins for its inaugural Jack’O’Lantern and Pumpkin Rescue on Friday.
Port Angeles-based SisterLand Farms is joining forces with WSU Clallam County Extension and Country Aire Natural Foods to divert thousands of pounds of pumpkins from regional landfills following Halloween celebrations, according to a press release.
Unwanted pumpkins and jack’o’lanterns can be brought to Country Aire, 200 W. First St., Port Angeles, between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday.
SisterLand and Clallam County Extension will have helpers on site, ready to take the pumpkins and compost them, returning them to the local food system. The one-day-only service is free.
Of the 2 billion pumpkins produced in the USA each year, it’s estimated that 1.3 billion end up in landfills, according to Arlene Jenson, co-founder of Sisterland Farms, in the release.
For each 100 pounds of pumpkins wasted, 8.3 pounds of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — is released, Jenson said, adding that the transportation of pumpkin waste to distant landfills itself creates a hefty carbon footprint.
“With the passing of House Bill 1799, Washington has to enact plans to reduce its organics waste by 75 percent before 2030,” Jenson added.
“Diverting pumpkins from landfills might seem like a small thing for our farm to do, but when you consider the weight of this material and its associated greenhouse gas emissions, it’s actually an enormous opportunity to do the right thing.”
Jenson said that after partnering with Port Angeles Fine Arts Center to compost the tons of pumpkin waste created at its annual Celebration of Shadows, “it became clear that a city-wide pumpkin drop-off was sorely needed.”
SisterLand Farms has experience in composting organic waste. It operates Clallam County’s only kitchen waste compost pick-up program that serves Port Angeles homes and businesses.
Each year, the farm collects and processes over 30,000 pounds of organics waste like apples, banana peels, coffee grounds, brown paper, tea bags and spoiled food.
After a year of turning this compost with manure and straw, the soil is used to grow flowers.
“Then, after a year of flower production, the compost can be used to safely grow more fresh food for sale and donation; a system that keeps nutrients in regional soils and in Port Angeles’ kitchens,” Jenson said.
For more about Sisterland Farms, see sisterlandfarms.com.
