from patch to pigpen: abbotsford farm turns leftover pumpkins into feast for rescue animals
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stephen wiltshire of the happy herd farm sanctuary in aldergrove feeds a pumpkin to garth the pig at the farm on thursday.
jason payne
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after pumpkin season wraps up each year at taves family farm in abbotsford, owner loren taves faces a dilemma — what to do with all the leftover gourds from a 500,000-pound harvest.
even after local grocers and gun clubs take their share at wholesale prices, a hefty amount remains in the fraser valley farm’s 13-acre patch.
“it’s the one conundrum i’ve always had,” said taves. “what do you do with them at the end?”
five years ago, aldergrove’s happy herd farm sanctuary came up with a partial solution: a convoy of volunteers roll in and carry as many pumpkins as they can to their vehicles to provide a snack for the sanctuary’s 50 rescue animals, including pigs, cows, goats, donkeys, sheep and chickens.
happy herd co-founder diane marsh said the volunteer mission brings nearly 500 pumpkins to the rescue farm each year.
“then we toss five or so pumpkins over the fence in different parts of the paddock each day and let them break,” she said. “it’s a madcap scene of animals running for them. all our animals eat pumpkins.”
stephen wiltshire of the happy herd farm sanctuary in langley feeds pumpkin to chili the goat on oct. 30, 2025.
jason payne
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the rescue farm’s herd has learned to recognize the treat, racing to the paddock fences as soon as they see volunteers carrying the bright orange gourds.
even the farm’s two goats, chili and rosey, in custom-made wheelchairs, get to join the annual feast. “they wheel on over to the pumpkins,” said marsh.
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she added that the only risk to the animals sharing the delicacy is if the pumpkins aren’t broken open when served. otherwise, the herd’s dozen pigs “can take a whole pumpkin, crunch it with their teeth, and run away with it.”
before teaming up with taves family farm, happy herd volunteers resorted to digging through dumpsters at local businesses to collect leftover pumpkins from seasonal displays. they also reached out to the community, asking for unpainted donations of gourds for their animals to enjoy.
one year, a 250-pound pumpkin was donated to happy herd. it was quickly devoured by three of the farm’s several-hundred-pound hogs.
“most of our herd is on a healthy diet, so a treat like this is really exciting,” said marsh.
marsh said most of the rescue farm’s animals didn’t have an easy start in life. some were abandoned, while others came from neglectful situations. but at happy herd, they now spend their days eating well, roaming the fields, and hanging out with farm volunteers.
taves said the partnership has not only reduced the workload for his pumpkin patch staff while cutting waste, but has also turned what used to be a seasonal headache into a fun tradition.
halloween pumpkins in langley on oct. 30, 2025.
jason payne
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“a whole bunch of them come by with trucks, cars, even a mercedes convertible with the trunk open. it’s quite the occasion,” he said.
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pumpkins that aren’t collected are chopped up by farm machinery and worked back into the soil as compost. if left to rot, they can attract migratory birds that may carry avian flu, posing a risk to taves’ peacocks and turkeys.
“we’re always looking for ways to make the end-of-season harvest meaningful — for someone, or for an animal,” taves said.
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