Midwest Food Resources planning Pumpkin Festival

“We are planning to do it annually,” Fa said. “We decided to do a pumpkin festival because we don’t have such a thing in North Battleford or the surrounding areas.”

The event also aims to be a major fundraiser for MFR.

“This will help our organization to expand and hire more people, and just go to the next level with our production,” Fa said.

The festival will include contests for the biggest pumpkin and largest squash.

“We have lots of local growers and farmers who are already calling me to compete,” Fa said.

If there is enough interest, there may also be competitions for the craziest carrot or the biggest potato, but for now organizers plan to concentrate on pumpkins and squash.

People attending the festival may also be able to purchase some pumpkins and squash during the event as well.

As well as the competitions, other events during the day will include a children’s activity area, horse-drawn carriage rides and food trucks. Then there will be beer garden starting in the afternoon.

There is also an educational component to the event as well.

People can take in informational talks on such topics as Bokashi composting, traditional old-fashioned composting, as well as seed-saving and preserving techniques for instance.

The aim of the event is to promote fresh, nutritious foods in the Battlefords. The MFR also offers a Fresh Food Box program throughout the year to help families access healthy produce at an affordable cost wherever they live.

With the Pumpkin Festival only a month away, MFR is now looking for lots of volunteers to help during the day.

The whole event is expected to run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the beer garden likely opening around 1 p.m.

Head of the festival volunteer committee, Hannah Adamcryck. said she estimates about 20 adult volunteers will be needed to help run the event.

“We will have to have a few manning the entrance gate, looking after the kids’ activities, running the beer garden, and controlling the parking,” she said.

Adamcryck has asked people interested in volunteering to sign up for a shift when they are available, so they wouldn’t need to work the whole day.

She added volunteers will also be needed for the set-up preparations and take-down work when the festival wraps up.

Adamcryck said whatever anyone is able to do to help would be appreciated.

To enquire about volunteering, people can contact MFR in the Battlefords at 306-480-4677 or via its Facebook Page .

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Midwest Food Resources planning Pumpkin Festival

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