October and the Porcelain Doll F1 Pink Pumpkin: perfect together.
Pink pumpkins
Who knew? I didn’t, until I dropped by McCormack Family Farms’ stand in Middletown the other day and saw among the bushels, baskets and tables of squashes both familiar and beautifully uncommon, a spread of pumpkins with distinctly pink hues.
Proprietor Bill McCormack told me the story of the pink pumpkins, which are the springboard to a national fund-raising effort by the Colorado-based Pink Pumpkin Foundation to raise monies that support breast cancer research.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month—and peak season for pumpkins, as well. So the McCormacks, who have farmed in Middletown since 1880, decided to grow the Porcelain Doll F1 and not merely donate the suggested “portion of the proceeds” from sales of the pink pumpkin to the foundation, but 100 percent of the proceeds.
“We’re happy to do this,” the farmer notes, as I examine the pink pumpkins and read the signs attached to the display that offer details about the cause.
Turns out McCormack Farms, a finalist in the Outstanding Farmer category of the 2017 Garden State Culinary Arts Awards, is one of five farms in New Jersey growing the pink pumpkins this year. McCormack is the foundation’s current national spotlight farm, getting a prime post on the informational website PinkPumpkinPatch.org.
Interested in seeing the pink pumpkins and/or supporting the cause? McCormack is located at 119 Tindall Road in Middletown. The stand is open from 1 to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, except during extreme inclement weather. You can call ahead for details at 732-671-0162 or visit mccormackfarms.com.
(N.B.: Though the pink pumpkins are unusual and serve a terrific cause, McCormack Farms’ produce is all-around exceptional, from its heirloom tomatoes to its skinny string beans to its raspberries. Mark your calendars for next spring’s arrival of some of the best asparagus on the planet.)
Meanwhile, check out the other four New Jersey farms participating in the Pink Pumpkin Patch program:
* Hillview Farm, 223 Meyersville Road in Gillette
* Hillsborough Farm, 219 Hillsborough Road in Hillsborough
* Gower Nurseries, 384 Eayrestown Road in Southampton
* Bradways Greenhouses and Farm, 149 Jericho Road in Salem