The Paper Pumpkin Project
A grass-roots fundraiser for Rondout Valley post-flood farm relief
 Thousands of pumpkins were washed into the frothing waters of the Rondout and Esopus Creeks after Tropical Storms Irene and Lee swept through the Rondout Valley in late August. But pumpkins were far from the only crop damaged on local farms. The flooding and days of pelting rain severely damaged all kinds of local produce, farm soils and infrastructure at the worst possible time of year—the time when harvest crops pay off farmer’s start-of-season loans.
A local resident who emailed the RVGA to ask where to send a check for the pumpkins he’d pulled from the Rondout Creek sparked the concept of creating a fundraiser as a way to offer much-needed financial support to affected members of the agricultural community.
Farmer and RVGA President Bruce Davenport came up with the idea to sell a pumpkin hangtag as a way to fund a disaster relief account to distribute to hard-hit local farmers, and artist and RVGA board member Maria Reidelbach offered to create one. Like real pumpkins, each is sold by the “pound,” with a per-pound price of one dollar, and a minimum suggested donation of five pounds (five dollars). RVGA’s Education Project is a sponsored project of The Open Space Institute, Inc., a nonprofit public charity, and all contributions to the Paper Pumpkin Project over $250 are tax deductible.
The pumpkins are available through mid-December at Rondout Valley farmstands, at various businesses region-wide, and right here, on our website .
It takes a community to support a farm, and your generous purchase of one of RVGA’s paper pumpkins directly helps to do just that.
Links:
RVGA's Paper Pumpkin Project in The Shawangunk Journal This New York Times article quotes two RVGA grower members about local damage.
This article talks about storm damage to farms in the Capitol District and also explains the crop insurance catch-22
A few facts about pumpkins
The BlueStone Press ran this op-ed cartoon about our project
Link to USA Today article about the post-storm NY State pumpkin crop
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