It’s that time of year! If your pumpkins and gourds are ready to retire from porch duty, they can still bring a big benefit to our environment. From November 1st to November 10th, Dundee Bank’s Underwood branch at 5015 Underwood Ave will be accepting pumpkins, gourds, and melons to help feed the pigs at Little Mountain Ranch & Garden. These are no ordinary animals—these happy pigs roam freely, foraging as naturally as possible, and they’ll soon enjoy a feast thanks to your donations.

Turning Pumpkins into Pig Feasts at Little Mountain Ranch

Last year, our friends at Hillside Solutions tried a new twist with their collection by feeding the pumpkins to animals instead of composting them. Brent Crampton, Director of Partnerships at Hillside Solutions, shares:

“In the past, we focused on composting, but last year we tried feeding the pumpkins to animals instead. We connected with a local ranch in Fort Calhoun—Little Mountain Ranch & Garden, home to chickens, pigs, and cows. The pigs, in particular, who will be fed these gourds, get to roam and forage in the forest, just as they would in nature. It’s amazing to see the truck empty out this mountain of pumpkins and watch the pigs enjoy them.”

The results? Happy pigs and even sprouting pumpkins in the field, creating an eco-friendly, sustainable loop.

Please Avoid Glitter, Paint, Metals, and Wax!

It’s essential to remember that we can only accept pumpkins, gourds, and melons that are free of glitter, paint, metals, and wax. Not only can these materials harm animals, but they also disrupt the composting process. Brent gives us a simple rule:

“If you wouldn’t feed it to your pet, don’t give it to the pigs. Glitter, paint, or wax? No, thanks. If there’s wax on your pumpkin, try a potato peeler to remove it, or consider keeping it out for squirrels to enjoy instead.”

To make sure all the pumpkins are animal-friendly, remember that anything with added decoration should be cleaned or kept at home. If you’d like to make a bigger impact, you can also join Hillside Solutions’ Compost Club and visit Little Mountain Ranch & Garden’s website to learn more about their work.

Dundee Bank will have a 20-cubic-yard container ready at the Underwood branch. Drop your pumpkins, gourds, and melons off, and once the bin fills, Hillside will deliver the batch to the ranch to give the animals a feast.

Why Pumpkin Disposal Matters for the Environment

You may think food waste breaks down quickly, but in a landfill, pumpkins could take years to decompose. The methane gas produced in the process is a major contributor to climate change. Brent emphasizes the impact of our choices:

“When food waste goes to a landfill, it doesn’t safely break down. Methane is produced, contributing to climate change. We can change that by treating trash like a resource and returning nutrients to the soil and animals around us. In nature, everything is cyclical, yet humans have created a linear ‘take, make, waste’ model. Following nature’s example by feeding your pumpkin to a pig is one small step toward sustainability.”

So, if you’re ready to be part of this cycle, bring those post-Halloween pumpkins by Dundee Bank, and let’s give back to nature—one pumpkin at a time!