Oregon family turns leftover pumpkins into cattle feed with community’s help

OREGON, Wis. (WMTV) - As fall winds down, an Oregon family is asking their neighbors for something simple: their unpainted leftover pumpkins. And according to Erica Kluever, the response has been overwhelming.

Kluever and her son, Tyler, run Tyler’s Farm Stand, a small homemade stand built by Tyler’s grandfather when the family ended up with more eggs than they could use.

“We had thought for the longest time we should sell them, but I wanted a farm stand. And he got so excited that, you know, his papa was making a farm stand,” she said.

After planting pumpkins on their pasture this year, the family hoped to sell a few. But Kluever said the idea really took off after she turned to social media.

“We tried to do it last year as well, but it wasn’t as big of a hit,” she said. “This year I made a big post on the Oregon community page that I’m a part of, and a whole bunch of people started dropping their pumpkins off… and that’s kind of how it all started. That’s where we are now.”

The donation request comes with one rule: pumpkins must be unpainted and free of decorations to keep the cattle safe. And the cows, Kluever said, are enthusiastic participants.

“They eat almost anything you put right in front of them, actually,” she said. “They get so excited when the guys are doing their farm chores and they see this wagon go through the gate. It’s crazy. It’s so funny, but they love it. They enjoy it.”

Pumpkin drop-offs have been constant — quick interactions with neighbors pulling in, waving, and leaving pumpkins on a wagon out front.

“Everybody is so nice… they just drop their pumpkins. It’s very welcoming and I love it,” Kluever said.

The family continues to sell their own pumpkins at the stand as well, with every dollar going toward a future trip for Tyler.

“All the money Tyler gets from his farm stand and the pumpkins, we’re actually saving ‘cause we’re going to Disney World next year,” she said.

Kluver said she never expected the idea to grow this much and she hopes others aren’t afraid to try something similar in their own neighborhoods.

“I just thought it was just going to be a few people here and there. I’m not big on Facebook myself… well, it blew up and here we are. “You don’t have to have farm animals. It could be like baked goods or flowers… gardening or planting flowers. It could be anything, anything that your heart desires. Just give it a shot.”

To find out more information about Tyler’s Farm Stand, you can visit the Facebook Group.

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