Hey There, Pumpkin!

October 26th is National Pumpkin Day, and there are many things about this particular orange fruit (yes, it is a fruit!) that many people may not realize. First off, annually the U.S. grows around 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins with 80 percent of the crop (around 800 million) grown for picking in the month of October. There are also 45 different varieties of pumpkins ranging in colors from orange to red to yellow to green with, of course, orange being the most popular.

While technically a fruit, pumpkins are a winter squash which means they are a variety of squash species that are harvested when mature and have hard rinds that allow them to be stored for months. Every single part of a pumpkin is edible: the skin, leaves, flowers, pulp, seeds, and stems. Naturally low in energy density, pumpkins are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin A, and beta-carotene, the powerful antioxidant that gives orange fruits and vegetables their orange color.

Pumpkins (along with other forms of squash) were a historically important food staple among Native Americans. They would grow the squash along riverbanks next to maize and beans, a planting technique that was called the “Three Sisters Method,” which allowed the three crops to sustain each other. Corn served as the trellis upon which the beans could climb; beans were nourished by the sunlight and kept the corn stalks stable on windy days, while also nourishing their soil; and pumpkins sheltered the corn’s shallow roots and prevented weeds from taking hold.

And now, how does the Forney Education Foundation enter into the world of pumpkins? The support that FEF gives to the teachers in Forney ISD resembles the strong outer skin of a pumpkin. The cheerful colors of the different varieties represent the happy faces of all the teachers that have their teacher-requested grants funded. The cooperation of the “Three Sisters Method” represents the best of the teamwork that occurs in every school and every grade level in the district when the grants are a team request.

Remember, Adopt-AGrant is open now! Please go to www.forneyisdfoundation. org and see all of the amazing grant opportunities that are available for adoption by You!