US: Farmer grows pink pumpkins for breast cancer research
Bert Bouwman, planted 15,000 seeds on his farm in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and has been harvesting the light pink vegetables with his children this weekend.
The vegetable grower will donate 25 cents from every pumpkin sold to breast cancer research, and he said they are already flying off the shelves at local grocers.
Bouwman is one of 50 vegetable growers across America who took part in the campaign, started by the Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation, to grow pink pumpkins
The farmers supplied about 900 retailers nationwide with the pink pumpkins.
"It's going surprisingly well," said Gunars Sprenger-Otto, produce manager at Fresh Seasons Markets in Victoria and Minnetonka, of the variety named "porcelain doll."
Mr Bouwman, who also grows white and peach-coloured pumpkins as well as the traditional orange, said he was surprised by the demand for the pink variety.
Mr Bouwman said a Colorado pumpkin farmer discovered a pink pumpkin in his field about five years ago, and then begun work developing the seed.
The farmer decided to associate the product with breast cancer awareness, which is known for using the color in its pins and other marketing products.
He said that while the pink variety may not be ideal for carving jack-lanterns, they look pretty sitting on the porch during fall.
Source: dailymail.co.uk