The Pilgrims didn’t need pumpkin pies. They had something that sounds far more tasty — and something that Clark County pumpkin seekers might want to consider as they head out to the area’s many patches this month.
Early European settlers would cook a pumpkin by removing seeds, filling the inside cavity with cream, honey, eggs and spices, then sealing and burying it in the hot ashes of a cooking fire. The result? A cooked pumpkin flesh custard ready to go in its own bowl.
The squash, which is native to the Americas, helped keep the Pilgrims alive through many harsh winters. The early settlers would also make a fermented pumpkin beer with a mixture of persimmons, hops, maple syrup and pumpkin.
And that’s just a small part of the pumpkin’s humble history.
Before the Pilgrims, Native Americans would roast pumpkin strips over their fires and make a sort of pumpkin jerky to sustain them on trips. They’d also roast and eat the seeds or use them as medicine. They’d turn other parts of the squash into soup. And they dried the shells and used them as bowls or storage containers.
All that was well before their more common use today as jack-o’-lanterns.
The tradition of using the gourds for mood lighting started in Ireland and Scotland, where villagers would hollow out turnips or potatoes and light them with pieces of coal. In the New World, they found that the pumpkin was ideally suited for carving and lighting because of its large internal cavity.
By the late 1800s, the modern jack-o’-lantern was well on its way to becoming a marquee October holiday fixture.
Today, there are dozens of varieties of pumpkins available — some better for cooking, some for decoration and some for carving.
Here in Clark County, you’ll find a vast array of pumpkin types at local pumpkin patches and farms, along with hay rides, corn mazes and a host of other activities to keep the kids entertained.
Ready to head out? We’ve listed some of the larger local pumpkin patches below.
CLARK COUNTY PUMPKIN PATCHES
Bi-Zi Farms
9504 N.E. 119th St., Vancouver. 360-574-9119. bizifarms.com
Attractions: The pumpkin patch and corn maze also features seasonal produce, a bale pyramid and hay maze, calf roping station, wagon rides and one pumpkin included with admission.
Hours: 2 to 5:30 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; Evening corn maze: 6 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Admission: $9, free for ages 2 and younger, $5 for just the evening corn maze.
Joe’s Place Farms
701 N.E. 112th Ave., Vancouver. 360-892-3974. joesplacefarms.com
Attractions: 68 pumpkin varieties, including some very large ones that weigh 150 or 200 pounds. Hayrides, a corn maze, fort maze, face painting and harvest decorations.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 11 Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Admission: Free admission, pumpkin prices vary, $2 for fort maze, $2 for hay ride, free 2-acre corn maze.
La Center Farms
31215 N.E. 40th Ave., La Center. 360-573-8965. lacenterfarms.com
Attractions: Pick a pumpkin from the field, then wash it off under the old-fashioned hand pump.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Admission: Free, pumpkin prices vary.
Pomeroy Farm
20902 N.E. Lucia Falls Road, Yacolt. 360-686-3537. pomeroyfarm.org
Attractions: Take a hayride through the decorated Pumpkin Lane, filled with 80 “pumpkin people,” on the way to the farm’s pumpkin patch. There will also be Civil War re-enactors at the farm Oct. 18 and 19.
Hours through Oct. 26: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, 11 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Admission: $6, $4 for children, free for ages 2 and younger. Pumpkins are available for additional fee.
Velvet Acres Gardens
18905 N.E. 83rd St., Vancouver. 360-892-0434. www.vancouverpumpkinpatch.com
Attractions: Pick a perfect pumpkin, visit the covered petting zoo and in-barn hay maze, with hay rides to the pumpkin patch every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Admission: $5, includes hay ride and pumpkin.
Walton Farms
1617 N.E. 267th Ave., Camas. 360-834-2810. waltonsfarms.com
Attractions: The annual pumpkin patch features unlimited rides around the farm on the barrel train, farm animals and a corn maze.
Hours: 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October.
Admission: $8 includes pumpkin, train ride, maze and petting zoo.
