Halloween Thoughts

By Becky Nelson
BRAMBLINGS
It’s time for spooks and ghosts and goblins and witches and candy and parties and costumes and fun. Halloween stirs up lots of feelings in people, both good and bad. I read in a National Retail Federation annual survey that they expect Americans to spend 12.2 billion dollars this year on Halloween. 12.2 BILLION. Think of what that money could do if donated and spent on hurricane relief, fire relief in Hawaii, education funding, mental health funding, homeless relief, or relief for those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

All this money in the name of scaring ourselves. The meaning of the season of the past as a time to commune with the spirits of the departed and ward off those evil spirits lurking about have transitioned to something else, which is neither good nor bad, just expensive. I have never been a fan of horror movies or haunted houses, haunted hayrides, haunted anything. I can easily do without gruesome, bloody-looking costumes, thoughts of walking dead or folks jumping out from behind buildings or trees to make me fear for my life. There is much to be fearful of in the world, and enough daily horror to go around without creating artificial scares in my book. Creating a scenario to send my adrenaline into overdrive and my heart pounding out of my chest just for the sake of scaring myself is not on my list of fun things to do.

Don’t get me wrong. Halloween and harvest season are extremely important to us at the farm. Pumpkins, cider, apples and cornstalks are big sellers, and our annual income depends quite heavily on fall sales of these crops that we spend months growing and preparing. Jack O’lanterns and Halloween parties demand pumpkins for carving and decoration, and we are happy to oblige by growing bins full each year. This year the weather spirits were not good to us, and we had to buy in some of our pumpkins, but even with a poor crop, the demand is high for these iconic squashes. I no longer carve any pumpkins, but carving and roasting pumpkin seeds is high on my Halloween list of fun. I miss the days of spreading out newspaper, handing each kid a marker and a knife and creating fun pumpkin decorations to adorn the steps or the porch. My grandkids are now in this carving phase, and it is as much fun seeing what they create as it was their parents.

Pumpkins are a good crop for us at the farm. We plant them, weed them a couple of times and the rest the plants do on their own with a bit of help from bees, sunshine and showers. Enough rain, enough room to grow unhindered, enough sun, enough time, and we are usually rewarded with a good crop. There is very little waste, too, as the cattle love the ones with a bad spot as a late season treat. We struggled with soggy soils and some deer damage this year, limiting the harvestable squash here on the farm. Neighboring farmers had enough to help us out, though, so we had plenty to sell. There’s nothing quite like the sight of a pumpkin in the window or on the deck to help you fully appreciate the beauty and fun of autumn. Still, I am a bit discouraged that we Americans spend so much money on Halloween events, but I do understand trying to drown out a bit of the real horrors with a celebration of the harvest season and give the kids a chance to enjoy some fun and treats. A bit of holiday cheer, a cup of cider and a pumpkin on the porch…a perfect Halloween.

If you do carve a pumpkin this year, don’t throw the seeds into the trash. Roast them and snack on them while you enjoy a glass of cider or plan for the next holiday. Simple, yummy, and a good return for your part of the 12.2 billion dollars spent on Halloween.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• Seeds from inside your pumpkin when you carve it

• 3-4 Tablespoons melted butter or cooking oil

• Salt

Remove as much pulp as you can from the seeds. Place in a colander and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a towel or let drain completely. Place in a large bowl and add butter or oil and salt and toss so all seeds are coated. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 250 degrees then place the sheet in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes. Stir and toss the seeds on the pan a couple times during cooking and remove from the oven when a golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

— Becky Nelson and her husband own Beaver Pond Farm in Newport, family owned since 1780. She can be reached at [email protected].