In spite of a record-breaking drought and a brutal run of 100+ degree days, a harvest of over 1,000 pounds from the Brownwood Area Community Garden is something to celebrate.
The Garden’s second annual Harvest Festival will be at the Garden, 1514 Dublin Street on Saturday, October 8th, from 10a.m. to 4p.m. Emphasis of this year’s Festival is fun for the whole family, including the “All Things Pumpkin” cook-off, a Harvest Bounce House and other activities for kids, lots of food, and of course Oscar the Grouch, who’ll be serving roasted corn on the cob from his signature trashcan.
‘All Things Pumpkin’ Cook-off – and Tasting!
Everyone has a favorite pumpkin recipe, and the versatility of that humble icon of American autumn will be the focus of a cooking competition open to all local cooks. Categories include Pumpkin Pie, of course; other pumpkin desserts; pumpkin soup, chili or stew; pumpkin casseroles; pumpkin snacks; or other.
Judges from various culinary venues throughout the area will be on hand to sample entries and award prizes. After judging, festival goers will have to chance to sample the various concoctions and decide their own favorites.
Each ’Pumpkin’ entry must contain at least one cup of fresh or canned pumpkin, or one cup of pumpkin seeds. Participants are asked to provide two dishes of each entry, one for judging and one for sale to festival goers. Entry fee is $10 per dish, limited to one dish per category. All entries to the “All Things Pumpkin Cook-off” must be submitted no later than 11 a.m. the day of the Festival. Entry forms are available by calling 325-646-2192, 325-784-8453, or by email at bac_garden@yahoo.com.
Paint a Pumpkin! Decorate a Gourd! Be Your Own Bouncing Jack o’Lantern!
There will be plenty of entertainment for younger visitors to the Second Annual Harvest Festival, too. The kids can paint pumpkins, decorate gourds, and get their faces painted as a living Jack o’Lantern. And then they can bounce off some energy in the Harvest Bounce House. Festival organizers promise nominal fees for all activities so families can enjoy the event.
Oscar the Grouch and his Trashcan Veggie Roast
Sesame Street’s favorite TV curmudgeon, none other than Oscar the Grouch, will be on hand to help celebrate the Garden’s harvest. Roasted ears of corn on the cob will be served out of Oscar’s signature trashcan, plus Oscar will be available for photographs with the kids.
And for families who want photos of the kids to commemorate the Garden’s Harvest Festival, photographers will be available at the Scarecrow Punkin Patch.
Not Just Vegetables!
Besides the menu of creative pumpkin dishes from the “All Things Pumpkin” cook-off and Trashcan Veggies, brisket sandwiches and sausage will be available, as well as drinks and side dishes. Again, Festival organizers have tried to keep costs to a minimum to accommodate families on a budget.
And speaking of food …
Brownwood Area Community Garden Harvest Festival is part of World Food Day observations around the world. World Food Day, set for Oct. 16 this year, was created to focus attention on the growing problem of worldwide hunger, especially in children.
Locally, almost 25% of area children are considered “food insecure.” That same percentage applies to senior citizens, and those numbers continue to climb with the economic recession.
The Brownwood Area Community Garden, established in 2009, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing area food pantries with fresh, naturally grown produce year-round, as well as providing gardening space for area gardeners.
To help local food pantries such as the Salvation Army Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen and Good Samaritan Ministries meet the ever-increasing needs of fighting area hunger, festival goers are asked to donate a canned food item as admission to the Festival.
Tour the Community Garden
Visitors to the Harvest Festival are invited to tour the Community Garden while there and learn about the Garden’s 6,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system, state-of-the-art drip irrigation, composting and vermiculture.
Garden members planted an orchard and berry patch this year, and finished a flagstone floor in the vine-covered arbor. The flagstone was donated by Day Stone of Brownwood.
4-H Kids are Harvest Volunteers
Brown County 4-H students will be on hand to help with Festival activities and other Garden projects as part of the organization’s requirements for community service. The 4-H members are of all ages and have volunteered their time and help at the Community Garden in the past.
When and Where
The second annual Harvest Festival will be held this year at the Brownwood Area Community Garden, located behind the Central Texas Opportunities offices at 1500 Dublin St. in Brownwood. Parking will be available at the Salvation Army building on Lakeway, which runs between Belle Plain and West Commerce Ave. The Garden is a short walk from the Salvation Army parking lot.
Festival activities begin at 10 a.m. “All Things Pumpkin” entries must be submitted by 11 a.m. and judging begins at 11:30. Food and refreshments will be available throughout the day. Activities for children, including the Harvest Bounce House, will be ongoing. All activities and food sales are by ticket, available at the entrance to the Festival. Festival goers are asked to donate a canned food item for admission.
For further information, call Mary Green Engle at 325-784-8453.
Pictured above is the Scarecrow Punkin Patch – Kids can get their photos taken at the second annual Community Garden’s Harvest Festival in the Scarecrow Punkin Patch. Helping set up the perfect photo opportunity are: left to right, top, Heaven Badillo and Lawrence Garcia; bottom, Rory McCurdy, Dyan McCurdy, Michael Badillo, and Azteca Badillo.
Weighing In – Everything that gets harvested at the Community Garden is weighed and recorded. This year, in spite of a record-breaking drought and a brutal string of 100+-degree days, the Garden has harvested over 1,000 pounds of naturally grown produce, much of which went to are food pantries to help feed the hungry.
