LANSING, Mich. — After Halloween is over, people usually start to ditch the fall decorations to get ready for Christmas.
But instead of throwing out your pumpkins, there are some local animals that might like them.
"At the end of Halloween there are all these leftover pumpkins....and sheep and goats love pumpkins," Carolyn Johnston who owns Chinooks Acres said.
Decorations, or a delicious meal? At Chinook Acres, the days after Halloween are like Christmas for the animals who feast on the vegetable that would otherwise be useless after Oct. 31st.
"Its great enrichment for them. They have to tear them apart, the dig at them, it takes them awhile to eat and they really like that."
With seven goats, and about 100 sheep on the farm, the leftover pumpkins aren't only useful for dinner, but they also can help with other health issues affecting animals too.
"They say that pumpkins are really good against parasites. So if we can get a lot of pumpkins...then we can not use the artificial de-wormers and anit-parasitic medication" Johnston added.
A recycling program, that is good for the environment and animals? Johnston calls it a win-win. She encourages people to opt for donating their pumpkins to a local farm rather than throwing them away.
"Something like pumpkins, obviously the farmers are raising them, they're making a good business trying to raise natural products for them, but at the same time I think it is really good for us to think about the ways that we can reuse all of the things we consume," Johnston said. "It's helpful not only to farmers...but to all of us in general."
Pumpkins are OK for certain animals to eat, as long as they have no paint on them. Carved pumpkins work too.
Check with local farmers to see if they are collecting pumpkins in your area.
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