Pumpkin Unloading Day-september 21, 2025 12pm-?

We will be serving a loaded baked potato lunch at 12 pm in the Fellowship Hall at St. Luke’s UMC (6012 Youree Drive) and begin unloading the truck as soon as it arrives. We depend on volunteer efforts on this day and throughout the entire operation of the patch, so the more the merrier! For those seeking community service hours, this is an excellent opportunity! If you are interested, please contact the office at St. Luke’s UMC via email at admin@stlukesumc.community or by phone at 318-868-3613.

Regular hours of operation-

Monday - Saturday, 10 AM to 7 PM &

Sunday, 12 PM to 7 PM

September 21, 2025-October 31, 2025 (or until we run out of pumpkins!)

About Us

Since 1990, St. Luke's has provided the community with the Pumpkin Patch at 6012 Youree Dr in Shreveport. Our pumpkins are sourced from Pumpkins USA, located on a Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. Their entire economy is based on the farming of these pumpkins, and a successful harvest and sales makes significant difference in the quality of the lives of the Navajo and Pueblo people. All pumpkins are NON-GMO and grown using sustainable agricultural practices. For more information about the Navajo Nation that provides our pumpkins, click here.

We Support Local Charities!

The Pumpkin Patch is completely staffed entirely with volunteers, and 100% of the proceeds go to local charities. That’s right! We give it ALL away; the church keeps none of the pumpkin sales proceeds. When you buy a pumpkin from the St. Luke’s Pumpkin Patch, you are re-investing in your own community. Sure, you can get a cheaper pumpkin at one of the big box stores, but don’t they get enough of your money? When you buy one of our pumpkins, you are helping to fund local organizations like Oakwood Home for Women, Gingerbread House, Woody’s Home for Veterans, Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home, Beulah’s Safe Haven, Plant-a-Seed, The Highland Center, and Ninna’s Road to Rescue. Over the last 35 years, the St. Luke’s Pumpkin Patch has donated over a quarter million dollars to local charities! To find out more about the St. Luke’s Pumpkin Patch’s legacy of charitable giving and a complete list of the dozens of organizations that have benefited from our donations, click here.

In 2021, we began partnering with Broadmoor United Methodist Church to join our planning committee and help staff the Pumpkin Patch with volunteers. Each year, Broadmoor Methodist Church also selects their own charity organizations as the recipients of their portion of the pumpkin sales proceeds.

We make it easy to donate to or purchase from the Pumpkin Patch! Payments can be made by cash, all major credit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, or Cash App. Please see our Donation page for our PayPal QR code.

Photo Opps

We love watching families snap personal photos of their children in the pumpkin patch and would enjoy seeing them. Every year families love to take pictures next to our “How Tall This Fall?” display, where they can see how much their kids have grown since last year. We invite you to share your family patch pictures on our St. Luke’s Pumpkin Patch Facebook page at facebook.com/StLukesPumpkinPatchShreveport. While you’re there, like and follow us so that you don’t miss any of our posts about the events happening this year or our activity in the community! Don’t forget to tag us in your post!

PLEASE NOTE: NO PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

SORRY BUT WE DO NOT ALLOW PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ARRANGING PHOTO SESSIONS IN THE PATCH. This policy allows our patch to maintain its family atmosphere and the safety of all our visitors.

NO UNSUPERVISED ANIMALS IN THE PATCH

Your pets are welcome, especially on “Blessing of the Pets” day! However, all pets must be on a leash, and the owners must be present at all times. (And be sure not to forget to bring poo bags to dispose of waste!)

Pumpkins USA

The source of our pumpkins is Pumpkins USA, our partner for 35 years. It's a wonderful partnership of trust. Pumpkins USA works only with churches and other non-profit organizations that trust them to grow and deliver great pumpkins. In turn, Pumpkins USA trusts us to be diligent in selling the pumpkins, honest in reporting our sales, and attentive to paying their percentage of sales. They are responsible for all of the costs associated with growing, harvesting, and shipping. To ensure that their partners have a successful patch, they bear all of the risk of loss due to theft and spoilage. While it is unusual in the business world, this relationship of trust has been very effective throughout the years.

After being hit by Hurricane Hugo, Pumpkins USA moved its farming operations to the Navajo Indian Reservation in Farmington, NM. In cooperation with the Navajo Nation, they grow 1,200 acres or approximately 2 square miles of pumpkins and employee over 700 Native Americans during the harvest months of September and October. They also have a full-time off-season NM staff that is comprised of entirely Native Americans. This has a positive and lasting impact on a region with 42% unemployment.

Since 1974, Pumpkins USA’s “Pumpkin Patch family” has grown to over 1,000 organizations covering the Continental US, representing 25 denominations of churches and youth groups, schools, fraternal organizations, Knights of Columbus, Scouts, habitat groups and other civic organizations. The entire project is still based on trust.

Our Pumpkins: From Source to Table

Our pumpkins are sourced from the Navajo Indian Nation in Farmington, New Mexico. This is the perfect environment for growing pumpkins, with high elevation, dry air, limited insect population and availability of water. The farm workers are 95% Native American. The full-time farm staff is around 30 people, and the seasonal staff is in excess of 600.  The harvest payroll alone is more than 1 million dollars. This has tremendous impact in the region with 42% unemployment and a median family income of $20,000. For many workers, it’s the only opportunity to provide for their families, as well as making a significant difference in the quality of the lives of the Navajo and Pueblo people.

They exercise sustainable agricultural practices utilizing crop rotation to limit pest problems, thereby reducing the need for insecticides. They employ cover crops to prevent soil erosion and suppress weeds. This limits the need for the use of herbicides. They use soil-mapping technology, which allows them to maximize yields efficiently. All Pumpkin Patch products are NON-GMO! These responsible agricultural practices mean that they provide a great product that has little impact on the environment. All these qualities combine to produce a superior pumpkin with an extended shelf life. We are proud of our quality pumpkins!

From Table to Doorstep and Beyond

From their source on the farms of the Navajo and Pueblo people, our pumpkins begin their legacy of helping the communities they touch. Once they arrive here at St. Luke’s UMC, they are sold directly to you. As they reach their destinations at your homes, businesses, kitchens, tables, and doorsteps, our pumpkins have created a means for you to give to worthwhile charities and non-profits in your local community.

But the story of our pumpkins doesn’t end there. Any pumpkins that remain in the patch after the selling season still have an important role to fulfill in our community. St. Luke’s UMC donates these left over pumpkins and gourds to local hog farmers to feed their livestock. There is no waste at our patch, and every single pumpkin has an impact on our local community!

For General Information Contact Libby Smith, Patch Coordinator / (318) 422-1761 / stlukespumpkinpatch@gmail.com

or

Lisa Marshall, Patch Co-Coordinator & St. Luke’s Office Administrator / St. Luke’s UMC Office / 6012 Youree Dr. / (318) 868-3613 / Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM /admin@stlukesumc.community