 |
|
|
 |
|
Pumpkin Festival 2007
How many people could a 1289-pound pumpkin feed and how much energy and other natural resources would be required to grow it?
This sustainability puzzle may never be solved but one thing for sure: the winning King Pumpkin is not the only thing that brings over 10,000 people to Barnesville's Annual Pumpkin Festival each year. Some people say they drive four hours just to stock up on Olney's famous pumpkin bread. Olney started selling warm homemade bread by the slice at the library during Pumpkin Festival with Priscilla Leeds and Virginia Metzger in the mid 70's. Olney Historian, Cleda Mott is not sure when it turned to pumpkin bread but for a number of years the Olney orange tinted panel truck, the "pumpkin van", was our booth. About 15 years ago Vic constructed our current booth and sales have been going up ever since.
This year we increased our yield from 30 or so batches to over 40 thanks to Pittsburg alumna parent, Julianne Vadnais, who spent a cheerful, high paced Saturday in the bake room with students. Typically one fresh baked shipment is nearly gone before the next loaves can be rolled down to the fair. Over a 1000 loaves were made this year, selling out well before the close of the festival and netting over $3000. Proceeds go to the yearbook and to the Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes based on their participation. A couple of years ago we sent a good portion of our net to the Katrina relief effort.
The Pumpkin Festival is one of many Olney co-curricular activities that balance a concentrated college preparatory program with fun, service learning, and place-based projects. For the past five years Olney students have also provided the people power for the post- festival clean up, a massive job but small work for a crew of sixty. In a letter of appreciation, the Barnesville Village Administrator, Roger Deal, called them "an army of angels" and added: "Passion and volunteerism is what makes Barnesville strong and Olney Friends School has always played a role in making Barnesville a better place to live."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
