What to do with your Halloween pumpkin

Don’t toss out your old pumpkins From animal treats to compost for your garden, CTV’s Tyler Kelaher explains what you can do with your pumpkin post-Halloween.

Now that Halloween has come and gone, many are left with old pumpkins to dispose of. But before you toss your jack-o-lantern out, there are a number of other ways to get rid of it in Waterloo region.

Steckle Heritage Farm in Kitchener is accepting pumpkins all week to be used to feed the animals.

There are around two dozen pumpkins at the front entrance of the farm, enough for about two weeks’ worth of food for more than a dozen animals.

Steckle farmers said pumpkins are a great seasonal treat for horses, donkeys, cows, chickens and roosters.

The farm will accept drop-offs every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Friday, Nov. 4.

They will accept pumpkins with no paint, permanent marker or wax on them – so it is safe for the animals to eat.

The goal is to take in up to 400 pumpkins by the end of the week, which would be enough food to last the animals through Christmas.

“The horses, the cows, the donkey, the sheep and even Renee our lama – they all love them,” said Christopher Jupp from Steckle Heritage Farm. “And it’s great nutrients for them and it helps supplement their diet. So we’re very thankful to the community for coming along and donating their pumpkins for us.”

Local flower nurseries tell CTV News pumpkins also make great compost for your garden ahead of winter months.

“Some may already be starting to go moldy, but that’s OK,” said Barb Kruger from Sheridan Nurseries Kitchener. “The seeds can be quite viable so if you do put them in there you may find that the next season you’ll have a pumpkin growing out of it.”

Kruger said a single pumpkin could take anywhere from six months to a year to break down but said using it as compost is best for the environment.

“It’s just returning everything back to nature and your gardens love it,” she said.

The Region of Waterloo tweeted that carved pumpkins can go in the green bin but is reminding the public to remove candles and decorations beforehand.