Kitchen Upgrades, Expanded Gardens, and Pumpkins are in the works.

Growing pumpkins is never quite a walk in the park, but this year really put them to the test. Weeks of unrelenting summer heat early in the season left many local crops struggling, leaving us wondering whether we’d see much of a harvest before the first frost. Then September arrived with cooler, more seasonable weather, and the plants seemed to find a second wind. What’s happening in the living lab garden now is pretty remarkable.

Throughout the patch, round, speckled green pumpkins are steadily filling out. These late-season heavyweights are making up for lost time, growing with an enthusiasm that has been a welcome surprise. After such a difficult summer, it’s hard not to feel a little proud watching them push ahead.

At Melgund Recreation, Arts and Culture (MRAC), we also want to extend our congratulations to our partners at Art Borups Corners for the incredible work they put into this year’s summer living lab. It has been wonderful to watch local youth spend time on the land, explore the arts, and take part in hands-on learning throughout the summer. Those experiences are an important part of what makes a community program feel truly connected to place.

As the youth head back to school and community members finish end-of-summer camping trips, things are shifting into preparing for our next season here at MRAC, too. We’re heading into fall with some major work ahead, including renovations to the commercial kitchen at the Dyment Recreation Hall. Our community garden is also getting ready to grow, with a whole new set of planter boxes being prepared for next year’s expansion.

We’re grateful for the hard work, creativity, and partnership that Art Borups Corners brought to this year’s summer living lab. It has been a great season, and we’re looking forward to building on it next year. For now, though, we’ll be keeping an eye on the garden and cheering those pumpkins on as they make the most of every last bit of autumn sun.