Lessons Learned While Growing Pumpkins

      Our 6 & 8 year old grandsons, along with their parents, have been growing pumpkins & gourds to sell this year.  The boys do as much of the work as they are capable of and in return split the profits.  I am impressed by the lessons imparted through this process.  Their parents require them to give 10 percent of the profits to the church, put 10 per cent in savings, pay their Dad for his expenses in buying seed and gas for the tractor & tiller, and set aside money to purchase seed and fertilizer for next year's crop.  After these requirements are met they are allowed to spend the rest of the profit.  The boys do most of the weeding of the pumpkin patch throughout the summer and then harvest the pumpkins and gourds and wash each one to prepare them for sale.  When harvest is complete they set up a stand in their small town 2 or 3 days after school to sell their produce.  Gage, our 6 year old, bought a camera and Gavin, our 8 year old, bought a music-only iPod with some of their profit.

This is the last of their harvest

      This year they had a 'bumper crop' with lots of variety. They are planning another sale day on Thursday so Gage took this photo with his new camera for their promotional ad on their Mom's Facebook page.  He thought the black cat in the front of the pumpkins (one of his new kittens) would add to the 'Halloween effect' of the photo.  I am impressed with his composition and foresight!  I am also impressed by the variety and types of gourds available and have asked them to save a couple for me.  Hopefully they will bring them along when they come for a visit next month.

      Our daughter said that when they were washing the pumpkins, Gage exclaimed, "I didn't know working could be so much fun!"  It sounds as if many lessons are being learned in this endeavor!      

      Kudos to the parents for taking the time to teach them in such a beneficial way!