Pumpkin-nappers spoil Halloween fete for Leslieville kids

Dennis Hanagan —

A little treat children were hoping to see for Halloween celebrations at the Leslieville Farmers’ Market has vanished.

Emma Baron in the Children’s Teaching Garden at Leslieville Farmers’ Market.

Two baby pumpkins, which children and neighbours had nurtured, are missing from the Children’s Teaching Garden in Johnathan Ashbridge Park. They were still waiting to turn orange with the summer’s sun.

“Sadly, the pumpkins were taken while they were still green, so we didn’t have a chance to witness the colour change,” says Emma Baron, founding board member for the market.

“There are a few occasions where we feature pumpkins at the market, including Thanksgiving and Halloween, and we would have loved to have proudly displayed our own market-grown pumpkin,” she said in an email interview.

A September newsletter from the market mentioned the missing pumpkins. The garden is unfenced and the public is welcome to take from it, but it’s hoped pickers would at least leave a little behind for others to enjoy.

“Please help us spread the word that the garden is for everyone to share … but it’s nice to leave at least one example of each crop for children to witness their growth and development,” said the newsletter.

The Children’s Garden started in May 2013 as a learning experience for young growers. It helps them make the connection between healthy soil and where food comes from.

It’s maintained by children from the market’s educational program called LEARN (Let’s Eat A Rainbow Now) and people in the neighbourhood. They help plant, water, weed and harvest. LEARN is run by NutriSue Nutritional Consulting (www.NutriSue.ca). Costs for the garden are paid by the market.

“We teach the children how to recognize each plant and what its purposes are,” says Baron. “For instance, milkweed in the garden attracts butterflies to help pollinate. Most of the children who come to the market are quite young so they’re most captivated by sensory experience—taste and touch!”

Until now the garden hasn’t had problems like the missing pumpkins. Baron quoted a regular garden tender as saying “overall people in the community have been very respectful and appreciative of the garden. I think having gone two years with only a few missing veggies is the real story here.”

The Leslieville Farmers’ Market is holding Halloween festivities on Oct. 26, its final day for 2014.

Its website is www.leslievillemarket.com.