Equipping believers for a world-wide ministry

The Pumpkin Patch Yay!

A Short History of the Pumpkin

Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. They also dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. Indians would also roast long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and eat them. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians and pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets. As today, early settlers used them in a wide variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. The origin of pumpkin pie is thought to have occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and then filled it with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in the hot ashes of a dying fire.

Today we use pumpkins for all kinds of things. As a member of the squash family pumpkins are good for food, especially desserts. We also use pumpkins in many other ways, including decorating, photography, and other special holiday uses. Eighty percent of U.S. pumpkins are available in October and used during the fall holidays.

Below you will find some information about our pumpkin patch:

• Trinity's Awana Ministry is our annual pumpkin patch sponsor. Awana's goal is to reach boys and girls with the Gospel of Christ and to train them to serve him. If you are not yet enrolled in Awana, contact Trinity at 352-589-5673 for more information or email our Awana commander.
• Enjoy taking photos in the pumpkin patch. They make great holiday cards! Photo donations are accepted.
• Operating hours are 24 hours a day, but most people come from dawn to dusk.
• Our pumpkin patch is open during the month of October.
• Once you choose your pumpkin, match it to the "model" pumpkins with prices under the tent and place your funds in the black metal tube on the post under the tent.

If you do not have a church home, we would love to see you at Trinity. Worship services are held at 8:15 and 11:00am. You can also, connect with others and God's Word at 10:00am through our Elevate Kids K-5 program, Middle and High School Clubs, and Adult Bible Fellowships. Join us!

Thank you for choosing Trinity's Awana pumpkin patch. We hope you enjoy your pumpkin!

Why do jack-o-lanterns have stupid smiles on their faces?
You'd have a stupid smile, too, if you had just had all your brains scooped out!

Did you know that a pumpkin is really a squash?
It is! It's a member of the Cucurbita family which includes squash and cucumbers.

• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
• Pumpkin flowers are edible.
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
• In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
• The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American pumpkin.
• Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
• Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
• Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.
• Native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm squash."
• Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.