Statewide Pumpkin Program Teaches Helena Kids Where Food Comes From
Torgerson’s Equipment delivered pumpkins to every first-grade classroom in Helena Public Schools as part of a long-running Great Falls initiative that scaled up statewide to roughly 43,000 pumpkins. The hands-on distribution introduces students to plant biology and food origins, with organizers planning further expansion to East Helena and Montana City next year.
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Torgerson’s Equipment has brought a seasonal lesson in agriculture to Lewis and Clark County by delivering pumpkins to every first-grade classroom in Helena Public Schools. The effort is part of a long-running program that originated in Great Falls and was scaled up this year to distribute about 43,000 pumpkins across Montana, marking Helena’s first participation in the initiative.
Organizers designed the distribution to be more than a giveaway. In classrooms throughout Helena, students learned basic plant facts, received a pumpkin to take home, and will use the produce in a variety of classroom activities. Some teachers plan to incorporate carving and cooking demonstrations, while others will use the pumpkins for botany lessons that underscore how fruits develop, seeds propagate and food travels from field to table.
The program’s expansion to Helena connects local students with agricultural practices and the regional food economy. For many children, the pumpkin may be their first direct experience with a whole piece of produce outside of a grocery store setting. Educators and community organizers see the activity as a low-cost, high-engagement way to promote food literacy, spark curiosity about science and create a tangible link between Helena classrooms and Montana’s agricultural producers and suppliers.
Logistically, the increase to roughly 43,000 pumpkins statewide reflects significant scaling of resources and coordination. The original Great Falls initiative, which has operated for several years, provided a template for distribution and classroom engagement that organizers adapted for the statewide rollout. Bringing the program to Helena required coordinating with school administrators, scheduling deliveries to multiple schools and aligning classroom plans so students could immediately benefit from the pumpkins’ educational potential.
Beyond immediate classroom activities, organizers hope the program will grow to include neighboring communities. Plans are already under way to add East Helena and Montana City to next year’s distribution, potentially expanding the reach of the initiative within Lewis and Clark County and strengthening ties between rural producers and suburban and urban schools.
Local implications include enhanced experiential learning opportunities for Helena’s youngest students and increased community involvement in school-based educational programming. The pumpkins initiative also offers a model for public-private collaboration: an equipment supplier and community organizers working with public schools to deliver a seasonal curriculum supplement that emphasizes where food comes from and how plants grow.
As the program seeks further expansion, its success in Helena will likely be measured not only by the number of pumpkins distributed but by whether teachers are able to translate the hands-on moment into lasting classroom lessons on agriculture, nutrition and science. For families and schools in Lewis and Clark County, the pumpkins offer an immediate, visible way to bring those lessons home.