Halloween may be behind us, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw away your jack-o’-lanterns. Washtenaw County is collaborating with local farms to give pumpkins a new purpose.
The Washtenaw County Water Resources Department and seven local farms are accepting pumpkins to help feed farm animals or to produce compost.
One of the farms newly joining the county’s pumpkin recycling program is Growing Hope in Ypsilanti. Executive Director Julius Buzzard says jack-o’-lanterns are considered food, and food waste trapped in landfills leads to the harmful production of methane gas.
“The purpose is to help divert what would be food waste or other organic waste that could end up in the landfills and convert back to something useful.”
Buzzard says Growing Hope and other farms are accepting pumpkins, gourds, and squashes that are not adorned with any items or preserved using chemical treatments.
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