HELENA — Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin carving: it is no secret that pumpkins are the produce of fall, and the pumpkins here at West Mont Farm and Gardens will soon be ready for you to take home.
"Our greenhouse is full. Our pumpkin patch is full, and this is, from what I've heard, one of the largest yields of pumpkins that we've had, so we're really excited to share that with the community," said Laura Kneedler, the new president, and CEO of West Mont, which provides a multitude of services to individuals with disabilities.
She introduced me to two of the roughly 30 clients who work on the farm daily.
One client, Amber Kuntz, said, "I feed the animals. Sell tomatoes [at the] farmers market. Lots of people buy tomatoes."
Kuntz will be selling tomatoes from the farm during its Harvest Day event, which is returning this month for the first time since COVID-19.
"We're excited to have people back at our farm, not only to have a fun day on a Saturday [with] lots of family things to do, but also to spread more awareness about the great things that West Mont does in the Helena community," said Kneedler.
Harvest Day is free and includes hayrides, food trucks, games, and a pumpkin patch.
This year, West Mont harvested more than 200 pumpkins, with one weighing 75 pounds.
Another West Mont client, Chad Olsen, said, "We grow them that size, and they're huge. They're about this big."
Harvest Day is the only day West Mont will sell pumpkins and the last day they sell their produce for the season.
West Mont Harvest Day is Saturday, September 28, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at 3240 York Road, and you can find more information here.
