斜杠青年研究所

当超市纷纷将南瓜摆放在最显眼的位置，秋天也随之而至。咖啡店开始强推南瓜拿铁，面包房里飘着南瓜吐司香；连意大利通心粉也蹭要热度，变身成了南瓜的形状。你会惊异于南瓜的家族之大、之奇葩：橙的黄的，白的绿的；弯弯曲曲的，疙疙瘩瘩的；像飞碟的，像蘑菇的…真的很难挑出最喜欢的一只带回家。南瓜也是美国年末各大节假日里的刚需，无论是在万圣节刻灯，还是感恩节做派，都要消耗不计其数的南瓜。在万众疯狂采购南瓜之际，种南瓜的农民们，是不是要赢麻了？

带着这个问题，我在金秋十月里的一个周末前往了美国西海岸最古老的南瓜农场——Arata‘s Pumpkin Farm，他们自大萧条那会儿，就开始种南瓜、卖南瓜了。现任场主名叫Chris，是希腊裔。农场在他接管之后又增设了有希腊特色的牛头人迷宫、鬼屋、干草车等游乐设施——最老的南瓜农场也成为了最好玩的南瓜农场。Chris在他三十岁出头就来农场了，现在他的孙子都能在农场到处跑了。秋天的周末是农场最忙的时候，我在Chris稍稍闲下来时截住了他，问了问：农场所在的半月湾地区如何成为美国西海岸的南瓜之都？作为老饕的他有什么南瓜花式吃法？过季的南瓜都去哪儿了？南瓜究竟是不是美国秋天最好的生意？

节目视频版请见：

Absolutely Gourd-geous: A Chat with the Owner of Arata's Pumpkin Farm

Hey there, pumpkin lovers! It's that wonderful time of the year when pumpkins become the unofficial dress code at grocery stores. But if you're up for real pumpkin parties, check out the pumpkin patches in Half Moon Bay if you're visiting the Bay Area. These farmers have been growing pumpkins for almost a century. Are they all set for the busiest time of the year?

Join us on a journey to the heart of pumpkin festivities as we explore Arata's Pumpkin Farm, the oldest pumpkin farm in the area. We sat down with the farm's owner Chris Gounalakis to uncover

• What makes Half Moon Bay the “Pumpkin Capital of the West Coast”?

• Why do people flock to Arata's Pumpkin Farm?

• What's the owner's favorite pumpkin variety and recipe?

• What happens to all the unsold pumpkins?

• What's it like running a pumpkin farm?

• What keeps a pumpkin farm thriving for nearly a century?

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube.

Music Credits:

1. Taylor Swift - Gorgeous

2. The Play - Piano Version

Music composed and recorded by Oak Studios.

Link: https://youtu.be/7CD9KzBpSqk?si=l6UoK7gnw0doslql | Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0

3. Dive

Music composed and recorded by Oak Studios

Link: https://youtu.be/V4b1AUcCi-s?si=FEUC-GiGOZU16fJ5 | Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0

小宇宙/喜马拉雅/网易云音乐 @斜杠青年研究所／@心心念的

Apple Podcasts/Spotify @Dedicated （搜索“dedicated lulu”更容易找到呦）