A homesteading family in Virginia became so tickled with a video online featuring pumpkin-carving chickens they decided to try it with their own brood. The resulting jack-o-lantern was amazing. According to the family, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to make memories.
Stan, a police officer and wrestling coach, runs his family’s 3-acre homestead in the Appalachian Mountains in the state’s southwest alongside his wife Lindsey, a school teacher, and their two kids, Madison and Griffin.
“My daughter and I like to look at reels on Instagram, and when we see quick and easy projects we like to give them a try,” Stan told The Epoch Times. “Many of them turn out to be complete hoaxes!”
Can Chickens Carve Pumpkins?
A video of a woman claiming her chickens carved a pumpkin caught the eye of Madison and her dad.“It showed her putting the pumpkin in with the chickens, but then it skipped to the end,” said Stan. Not having seen the carving process actually play out, he asked Madison if she wanted to try it. “And of course she was all about it because the chickens are her favorite animals,” he said.
- Scratch the surface layer of the orange pumpkin flesh to expose the lighter flesh underneath, choosing a basic design with wide lines to give the chickens easy access.
- Rinse off any pumpkin shavings, then place the pumpkin in the chicken run, its back resting against something sturdy for stability.
- Leave the pumpkin in the run for 24 hours. If the chickens seem disinterested, poking small holes in the design may speed up the process.
- Once the chickens have pecked enough flesh, remove the pumpkin from the run.
- An adult can remove the top in a circle around the pumpkin stem, cutting at an inward angle. Next, remove any remaining pumpkin guts or seeds. “Trust me, there won’t be much!” said Stan.
- Insert a traditional candle, glow stick, or battery-operated candle into the hollowed-out pumpkin, and enjoy it as a jack-o-lantern.
Great Laughs, Great Memories
Madison wanted a jack-o-lantern face with two teeth on the bottom and a big smile, and could barely wait to see what her chickens produced. Stan shared the impressive result on the family blog on YouTube.
“[Madison] would go out there about every hour and report her findings,” Stan said. “I never had to ask her; her excitement for the end result kept her self-motivated.
“I always enjoy when the kids assist, because it always provides a great laugh and they learn so much in the process. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to provide your children with fun activities and great memories. For about $4, I was able to do a fun activity with my children that they will never forget.”
Pumpkin carving is just one of many activities that Stan, Lindsey, and their kids enjoy on the homestead. Their lifestyle off the beaten trail began with Stan’s struggle with psoriasis at the age of 16. Clean organic food was the only treatment that worked without compromising his and Lindsey’s desire to have a family.
Starting a Homestead
“It began as just small scaly patches on my elbows, but over the years progressed to a large portion of my body,” Stan said. “As I entered my thirties, the doctors were soon leaning toward me taking injectable biologics or very strong pills. These options came with great side effects, some of which could have caused birth defects in any children we may have. I felt there had to be a better way.”The more Stan swapped his old diet for an organic one, the more he saw his skin improve. But organic is expensive and less readily available. He then introduced six egg-laying hens and two raised beds into his small suburban yard.
“Although what I did provided a small saving, the greater impact was the internal fire that was lit within me,” he said. “Seeing the improvements in my skin, along with the sense of peace and joy I had growing my own produce, I wanted to do so much more. This is when my wife and I began looking for a larger property.”
In 2019, Stan and Lindsey found an affordable 3-acre homestead. Today, they raise kunekune pigs, egg-laying hens, chickens for meat, rabbits, and a goose on the property. Among their most popular fruits and veggies are Mexican sour gherkin cucumbers, titan sunflowers, bumblebee sunrise cherry tomatoes, dragon tongue beans, and Chinese red noodle beans.
Madison even grows her favorite watermelons in a patch of her own.
“I didn’t expect it to be successful, but it actually turned out to be our most prolific crop. We had an abundance of 30-plus-pound watermelons and they continue to be a great success,” Stan said. “We primarily raise our food for our family, and any extras we offer to family and friends. It is our goal to eventually sell at a local farmers’ market.”
Live, Love, Learn
Since starting the homestead, Stan feels his life has changed in immeasurable ways. His family haven’t bought meat or eggs from a grocery store in over two years; they feel secure and self-sufficient, always keeping preserved foods in stock for emergencies; outdoor time and shared projects have replaced screen time--they used to watch others having all the fun. Now it’s their turn.“I never imagined with no experience whatsoever we'd raise nearly 400 pounds of pork and poultry, along with a crazy amount of fresh and canned produce, over the past three years,” Stan said. “We were just an average family working full-time jobs and living life like most suburban families do.”
During his 17-year law enforcement career, he has seen life treated cheaply and many lives lost far too soon. His best homestead memory to date is the welcoming of new life on the property: the family sow, Big Mama, recently gave birth to four healthy piglets.
https://youtu.be/J6fybqyb8TM
“We need to make the most out of each day,” Stan said. “I want to make sure that if my day comes sooner than I'd expect, my children are prepared for this ever-changing world, have many great memories of me, and are inspired to be a mentor or help others through their actions or life experiences.”
