Each year, the library and Sitting Bull College Agriculture program collaborate to grow gardens on the campus. Each year brings a mix of success and failure and lessons learned for the next year.. The image below is from one of our more successful years. The photo shows the traditional Native American "three sisters" approach to growing corn, beans and squash (pumpkins and Lakota squash). This method has produced measurably increased yields compared with the same plants grown separately and in rows nearby. More research is needed regarding the symbiotic interactions between plants in this ancient form of traditional American agriculture.
The one crop that almost always succeeds are the pumpkins. Sitting Bull College grows two varieties: Connecticut Field and Atlantic Giant. According to Cindy Ott's Pumpkin: the Curious History of an American Icon and other sources, the Connecticut Field is the quintessential and classic American pumpkin, with origins going back to before colonization of the Americas.
Although there are hybrids that try to improve on the original, the Connecticut Field is a dependable heirloom that continues to produce from year to year. This iconic, ancient Native American variety is what comes to mind when visualizing pumpkins. Our gardens produced over 100 pumpkins this year, most of which have been given away to students and their families.
The Atlantic Giant is not at all an attractive pumpkin. Yet, there is a growing subculture surrounding the growing of giant pumpkins of this variety. A great book titled titled Backyard Giants: The Passionate, Heartbreaking, and Glorious Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Susan Warren tracks some of those involved in this unique and growing hobby over the course of one growing season. For a video take on this unique hobby that almost anyone can participate in, check the PBS film Lords of the Gourd that can be found at library. To connect online with the global pumpkin growing community, check out the fancifully named Great Pumpkin Commonwealth and www.bigpumpkins.com The current record set last year is 2,624.6 pounds. You can view the pumpkin here
Our pumpkins consistently top out at between 20 and 100 pounds. Below is a 100 pounder from two years ago. Stop by and guess the weight of this years pumpkin (top of page) at the Family Support building on the Fort Yates campus for a chance to win a prize and take home a pumpkin if there are any left.
