PUMPKIN PUMPKIN! Not only a thing to scream while passing a patch, but also the name of the book by author and human delight Anne Copeland. Yes, she's so charmed by pumpkins that she dedicated a whole book to exploring their folklore, history, planting protocol, care, and cooking. Alie stops by her house in the rural hamlet of Yucaipa, California to chat about everything from creation myths surrounding pumpkins to the secret medicinal properties of pipitas, loving pumpkins (warts and all), and the big flimflam Anne needs the world to know about the pumpkin origin story. Also: who is Jack and why does he have a lantern?

Anne Copeland's book "Pumpkin, Pumpkin: Folklore, History, Planting Hints and Good Eating" is available via Amazon

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Cucurbitology episode + tons of science links

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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm