Farmers markets are great for fresh fruits and veggies, but for pumpkins, Sheryl Wiser suggests you take off your city shoes, put on some galoshes and head out to the pumpkin patch.
Farmers around the Puget Sound provide a plethora of seasonal activities from corn mazes, to hay rides, to toy duck races, to singing chicken shows ... yes, really.
Here are a few tips from Sheryl that you can follow once you get to the farm.
How to pick a good pumpkin
The most important part of pumpkin picking is to find one with a hearty stem. Pumpkins without stems go bad much faster than pumpkins with stems that are intact.
Smooth or ridged?
If you are painting, go smooth; if carving go for the classic pumpkin with ridges.
Red, blue, pink and white pumpkins
For those out there that want to go a less traditional route, there are options! You can find red, blue, pink and white pumpkins at some of the local farms that are nice to decorate and great to eat.
You can find more about what pumpkin patch is right for you at theCascade Harvest Coalition.
Make a day or night of it because the Great Pumpkin chooses to rise out of the pumpkin patch that is the most sincere. To those of you that get that, you are welcome and for those of you that don't, here ya go.
