Local man plants pumpkin patch for fundraiser

Landry Jones holds a pumpkin Monday at a farm east of Fulton that he grew for the Fulton Breakfast Optimist Club's fundraiser.
Landry Jones holds a pumpkin Monday at a farm east of Fulton that he grew for the Fulton Breakfast Optimist Club's fundraiser.

Landry Jones has spent the last couple of weeks pumpkin picking.

In preparation for a pumpkin sale sponsored by the Fulton Breakfast Optimist Club, Jones planted a pumpkin patch so he could donate its produce for the fundraiser. The sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the United Security Bank parking lot by Moser's.

Jones said it was the first time he grew such a large batch of the fall fruit - about 200 pumpkins. He admits they are fairly easy to grow. In mid-June he used a hoe to create about 75 mounds. Then he planted two to three seeds in each mound and watered the half-acre area about once a week. The cost was low as well. Jones said the seeds were cheap but tending the patch was "a lot of hard work." Saving a few of the pumpkins for his own family's carving enjoyment, Jones said whatever pumpkins are leftover from the sale will go toward seeds for next year's patch.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.