So what is a pumpkin patch like in Hawaii? Well, there is no crisp fall air. There aren't any cool ocean breezes. Nope. The farm is in the middle of the island where the winds kick up the red dirt, unique to our volcanic islands. We were all in long pants, not because it was cold, but because the warm air blew the loose red dirt all over us. We were a fun mess.
We plodded off the bus steps to an outdoor classroom space. We squished onto large rugs with many preschool and kindergarten children from other schools. A farmer taught the kids about the different crops grown at the farm. They have a list a mile long of the herbs, veggies, and fruits they raise. She ended her lesson with lots of pumpkin talk. I learned that the jack o lantern pumpkins are not the best for baking pumpkin pies. The smaller round pumpkins are sweeter, and have a stronger outer flesh. That's why they are harder to carve. Huh. See what you can learn from a FARMER? Wink, wink. Pun intended.
I also learned that Aloun Farms introduced the Thai watermelon to Hawaii only ten years ago. It is just in front of the pumpkin, below. These watermelons are striped on the outside, and bright juicy red on the inside. They look like baby watermelons and are only 5 to 8 pounds.
It was time to pick pumpkins. First we traipsed through the fields in search of gourds and pumpkins. The fields were really dense and undisturbed since it was early pumpkin season. The plants were thick and viney. The kids got excited and plunged through into the green vines. They tangled a few times trying to escape the green ropes.
We scooped up pumpkins and gourds several rows back. The adults were loaded down with the treasured crops, corralling preschoolers, and dodging gusts of red dirt all the way to the tractor ride. We waited patiently and mounted the flatbed cars where bales of hay awaited us. We bumped and bounced through the pumpkin fields for several minutes. Since it was still so early in pumpkin season, the tractor trail was very fresh and hardly driven. The dirt was not packed, and the conditions were perfect for flying dirt. I think the kids were a little scared.We plopped down on some outdoor rugs to wait for the bus. After some hand sanitizer, the adults handed out snack bags. One of the teachers mentioned I was awfully generous with the snacks. Oops. Then I looked around. I looked at all of the other kids guzzling 16 ounce water bottles. No way. Not me. I was super stingy with the water. I told the teachers, my son, and his friend there was no way I was letting my two kids drink 16 ounces of water before getting on the bus. They looked down at the other kid. Oops. We still had a thirty minute ride back on the bus. I was not taking any chances. I had to share a seat with two preschoolers!
On the way out we asked the farmer teacher (not me, ha ha, for those of you that don't know I taught for several years before becoming a SAHM, I was the original "Farmer Teacher") about weekend parking. She was generous and shared free parking passes with us, and I took one. I AM GOING BACK even if we were a dusty mess on the field trip!
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