Pumpkin smash program safely disposes of old pumpkins

A pumpkin smash event to compost old pumpkins will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 419 Trout Farm Road, Bolingbrook.

Participants can pound, roll or drop their pumpkins until they are reduced to smaller pieces, a news release from the Forest Preserve District of Will County said.

Composting is a better option than having them end up in a landfill, the release said. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates natural fertilizer for soil.

The event will feature vendors, refreshments and activities. Guests can roast hot dogs and s’mores over an open fire.

Spearheaded by DuPage County-based SCARCE to promote composting and the wise use of resources, more than 100 SCARCE-affiliated pumpkin smash programs composted more than 164 tons of pumpkins last year, the release said.

Naperville Park District will not be offering a pumpkin smash event this year because of construction at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots, the district website said.

Robin Greenfield, author of “Food Freedom,” will be among those speaking about strengthening local food systems and living sustainably during a program Saturday at North Central College in Naperville. (Robin Press)

Living sustainably program to be held Saturday at NCC

Representatives from The Conservation Foundation and North Central College and activist Robin Greenfield will be among those speaking about strengthening local food systems and living sustainably from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at North Central College’s Stevenson Hall, 113 Loomis St., Naperville.

Greenfield, of Wisconsin, will discuss his quest to forage all of the food and medicine he consumed for a year. He is also involved in a grassroots effort to plant a million community fruit trees over the next decade. At the presentation, he will sign copies of his book, “Food Freedom.”

Jennifer Hammer, vice president of land and watershed programs at The Conservation Foundation, a Naperville-based nonprofit organization, will speak on growing food in concert with nature.

The Conservation Foundation creates a place where local farmers, community members and local organizations come together to support local farming, increase food access and connect with the land, a news release said.

Ben Mjolsness, Naperville’s sustainability manager, will provide an overview of the city’s sustainability priorities. City officials will highlight its food scrap composting program and partnerships with The Conservation Foundation, the release said.

Other presentations will be led by leaders with North Central College, the Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition and Will County Green.

The presentation is free, but registration is required at theconservationfoundation.org/event/strengthening-local-food-systems.

 

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/27/naperville-living-sustainable-pumpkin-smash-composting/