FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Pali Pre-School children toured the Aloun Farms Pumpkin Patch near Kapolei to pick pumpkins, like Jared Au did, right, to take home.
Pumpkins are a grand reminder that fall is here, along with holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Selecting pumpkins to carve into jack-o'-lanterns is an important task for those who want the proper ambience for their homes. These round orange fruits can be displayed as centerpieces or on doorsteps. Pumpkin perfection
A visit to Aloun Farms lets you find
Carving Competition
that right holiday pumpkin
Ghoulish horror lurks
Spinning spell-binding tales
By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.comSmall to medium-size pumpkins can be turned into jack-o'-lanterns with traditional faces. The finished products add charm to parties or can light pathways for eager trick-or-treaters. If you plan on stenciling a face, search for a pumpkin that is smooth and free of dents and gouges.
Aloun Farms presents an opportunity to find the perfect pumpkin, offering plenty to choose from on a 72-acre lot. The pumpkins come in three sizes: mini, medium and large, with the large specimens weighing in at 8 to 10 pounds.
Through the farm, families get to experience a real pumpkin patch while being exposed to other agricultural wonders nearby, said Stacy Davis, tour coordinator for Aloun Farms. Pumpkin hunters also get to see the importance of farming and its place in Hawaii's future. Seeing produce outside of the supermarket for the very first times can be a vital learning experience for children, she explained.
SEVENTY-FIVE Pali Preschoolers toured the farm earlier this week and learned about bananas, cantaloupe, Thai watermelon and, of course, pumpkins.
They visited a zucchini garden and an apple banana patch to learn how the plants were started as seedlings. The best part of the trip: Each child carefully chose and toted home their very own pumpkin.
"Part of the reason we are doing the school tours is to raise awareness about the farm and to gain community support," said Davis. "We want people to know about all the different things we grow here."
Missing this year is the farm's usual holiday season corn maze. "We just don't have enough farm labor," said Davis, although she says a maze may be set up in the spring.
"I'd like to turn it into a mainland-style function where we have hayrides and more family activities," she said.
PUMPKIN PICKERS didn't seem to mind that the maze was missing. "It was really a lot of fun -- something different," said Kathy Tanabe, who was enjoying the experience with her 4-year-old daughter Madison. "We just wish it were a little cooler out."
Note that no beverages are sold at the patch, so you may want to bring your own cold drinks.
"My family did this last year. We should have more of these types of family activities. It's something nice to do," said Donna Lau-Kano, adding, "Too bad we can't pick Christmas trees here."
Lau-Kano's 4-year-old daughter, Teri-Jane, was proud to show her medium-size pumpkin.
"It's just right," she said.
"The parents have more fun than the kids," said Elizabeth Padilla, who works at the Patch. "You should see them running up and down the aisles. Many of them have never had this type of experience before, so they get a chance to relive their own childhood."
A visit to Aloun Farms lets you find that right holiday pumpkin
By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com
Pumpkins are a grand reminder that fall is here, along with holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Selecting pumpkins to carve into jack-o'-lanterns is an important task for those who want the proper ambience for their homes. These round orange fruits can be displayed as centerpieces or on doorsteps.
Small to medium-size pumpkins can be turned into jack-o'-lanterns with traditional faces. The finished products add charm to parties or can light pathways for eager trick-or-treaters. If you plan on stenciling a face, search for a pumpkin that is smooth and free of dents and gouges.
Aloun Farms presents an opportunity to find the perfect pumpkin, offering plenty to choose from on a 72-acre lot. The pumpkins come in three sizes: mini, medium and large, with the large specimens weighing in at 8 to 10 pounds.
Through the farm, families get to experience a real pumpkin patch while being exposed to other agricultural wonders nearby, said Stacy Davis, tour coordinator for Aloun Farms. Pumpkin hunters also get to see the importance of farming and its place in Hawaii's future. Seeing produce outside of the supermarket for the very first times can be a vital learning experience for children, she explained.
SEVENTY-FIVE Pali Preschoolers toured the farm earlier this week and learned about bananas, cantaloupe, Thai watermelon and, of course, pumpkins.
They visited a zucchini garden and an apple banana patch to learn how the plants were started as seedlings. The best part of the trip: Each child carefully chose and toted home their very own pumpkin.
"Part of the reason we are doing the school tours is to raise awareness about the farm and to gain community support," said Davis. "We want people to know about all the different things we grow here."
Missing this year is the farm's usual holiday season corn maze. "We just don't have enough farm labor," said Davis, although she says a maze may be set up in the spring.
"I'd like to turn it into a mainland-style function where we have hayrides and more family activities," she said.
PUMPKIN PICKERS didn't seem to mind that the maze was missing. "It was really a lot of fun -- something different," said Kathy Tanabe, who was enjoying the experience with her 4-year-old daughter Madison. "We just wish it were a little cooler out."
Note that no beverages are sold at the patch, so you may want to bring your own cold drinks.
"My family did this last year. We should have more of these types of family activities. It's something nice to do," said Donna Lau-Kano, adding, "Too bad we can't pick Christmas trees here."
Lau-Kano's 4-year-old daughter, Teri-Jane, was proud to show her medium-size pumpkin.
"It's just right," she said.
"The parents have more fun than the kids," said Elizabeth Padilla, who works at the Patch. "You should see them running up and down the aisles. Many of them have never had this type of experience before, so they get a chance to relive their own childhood."
STAR-BULLETIN PHOTO / 2001
The jack-o'-lantern custom is believed to have evolved from Irish folklore. The tale depicts a stingy man named Jack who was denied admission to heaven because of his evil ways. The history of the jack-o'-lantern
He had played too many tricks on the devil, so he couldn't go to hell, either. His fate after death was to walk the earth carrying a lantern with a burning coal inside. He later became known as "Jack-o'-Lantern."
The first jack-o'-lanterns weren't made of pumpkins; they were made of turnips, rutabagas or potatoes. On All Hallow's Eve, folks carved out the tubers and put a light in them to ward off spirits and keep Jack away.
Immigrants brought the tradition of making jack-o'-lanterns to the United States, where pumpkins were plentiful and easier to carve, so they replaced the other vegetables. A candle replaced Jack's original ember.
Where: Aloun Farms, Farrington Highway, between Waipahu and Kapolei Great Kapolei Pumpkin Patch
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday, and Oct. 26 and 27
Admission: Free. Pumpkins cost between $1 and $5.
Call: 677-9516, ext. 20. Private group tours and school tours are available. Call for details and cost. Campbell High School Future Farmers will be assisting with group tours. A portion of the proceeds go to Hawaii Future Farmers of America.
BACK TO TOP |
Architects Hawaii Ltd.'s 14th annual pumpkin-carving competition will take place Oct. 31 at the Bishop Square Pacific Tower Lobby, 1001 Bishop St. Show up between 8:30 a.m. and noon to vote for your favorite. The winning pumpkin will be announced at 1 p.m. Carving competition
During the annual event, the professional builders turn their design skills loose on the unsuspecting gourds, which become elegant, quirky architectural marvels, in one of downtown Honolulu's most festive exhibitions.
For more information, call 523-9636.
Click for online
calendars and events.
