at Fairfield Museum
By Mike Lauterborn
© 2010. All Rights Reserved.
10/23/10
Fairfield, CT – Red cheeks and bright orange pumpkins. These were the most apparent images at Fairfield Museum and History Center early Saturday afternoon October 23 when two dozen children and their parents came together for pumpkin carving fun sponsored by the Fairfield Organic Teaching Farm.
In a grassy, sunny corner just outside a classroom space at the museum, four long tables had been set out and covered with bright yellow plastic tablecloths. Each table featured a plastic bowl and big spoons for seed scooping and pumpkin “guts” collection. There were also a variety of stencils available – essentially black and white images on copy paper of hissing cats, ghosts, scary faces and bats. A small container of pushpins was provided for tacking stencils on the front face of pumpkins. A larger container of Sharpie pens stood at the ready for carvers that chose to go a non-stencil route.
Of course, the stars of the show were the pumpkins themselves, which had been donated by Greenfield Farms. Twenty of these had been set on a carpet of crunchy leaves, scrubbed clean with soapy sponges and awaited eager carvers.
Assisting with the hour-long event were museum workers Walter Matis, Programming Volunteer Coordinator, and Christine Jewell, Director of Education and Public Programs. They were joined by Matis’ wife Sharon Hsu and representatives from the Teaching Farm including Vice President Jennifer Cole and Secretary Beth Bradley. Analiese Paik, Founder of Fairfield Green Food Guide, was also on hand.
Reached by phone, Teaching Farm President Pamela Jones, Esq., said, “We are very excited to co-sponsor the pumpkin carving. This is the farm’s first activity with the museum and we’re looking forward to undertaking other activities with them. We’re also excited to bring local native produce to students.”
The Teaching Farm is currently negotiating with the town for its own space in which to start a four-season micro farm. In the meantime, it is already cultivating produce in various locations around town. The Farm’s mission is to celebrate Fairfield’s agrarian roots and provide a demo farm for Fairfielders to learn sustainable farming practices. It is currently working with the Fairfield Woods Library to start an heirloom seed bank and library so Fairfielders will be able to plant and grow produce from provided seeds.
“I’m doing a ghost,” said Donna Drive resident Tommy Quinn, 14, freehand drawing an image on his pumpkin from a stencil. “I plan to put it on the front steps with three others there.”
Said Quinn’s mom Linda, “We’re members of the museum and had seen a flyer attached to a school e-blast. They (son Tommy; daughter Mary, 11; and their friend Katie, 12) love to carve. They look forward to doing this every year, usually at home. It’s exciting to do it somewhere else.”
Sungkey Paik and his sons Andrew, 11, and Phillip, 7, had pinned a cat stencil to a pumpkin and were pricking holes to provide cutting guidelines. He explained that his wife Analiese’s Fairfield Green Food Guide has a strong parallel with the Teaching Farm as an online resource for local and sustainably grown food ranging from local farm stands to farm-to-table restaurants.
Karen Capponi and daughter Isabella, 7, were also stenciling a cat face on their pumpkin. “I hope it turns out like a cat. We’ll see when we’re done!” the Holland Hill area mom said.
Mary Baker and children Sarah, 7, and Collin, 9, were carving a moon and stars pattern. “The kids really like old-fashioned activities like this instead of watching TV.”
A dad in the pack, Bernie Kelley, worked with daughter Kelley, 7, and her friend Chloe, 5, on an original carving. They had walked over from Kelley’s soccer game held on an adjacent field. He summed up the general feeling here, saying, “It’s really a lot of fun… and what a beautiful day!”
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