The pumpkin hunting is on, so get this autumn wonder of yours in Baranya!

Like more and more regions, Baranya also aims to bring local producers and customers closer together with a particular focus on short supply chains. This is the idea behind the creation of the so-called “basket communities”, including the Pécs Basket Community. With their help, consumers can buy fresh food directly from farmers, without having to travel, pack or preserve it. Zsolt Radnóti, a member of the team in Pécs, helped us, to reach the farmers in Baranya, who this year produced pumpkins among many other delicacies.

"Once upon a time, we travelled to Prague to have a beer," György Gajdos, who runs a chemical-free garden in Kozármisleny begins his story. Of course, like all stories that start with "We just had a beer in Prague...", this one also has a happy ending. The team stepped into a local deli in the Czech capital and bought a beautiful, round pumpkin. The fruit was so delicious that the farmer brought the seeds home: and grows them ever since!

Locally known as the Prague pumpkin, this variety is round, relatively sweet, dense, and drier than the others. It yields somewhere between 1 and 3 kilograms, and, because it grows quite a limited amount of pumpkin, the price is higher. "But once you taste it, you will understand why it's more expensive," the producer says. For this pumpkin, no honey or spices are needed; besides the saying "if it's not good, we'll turn it into a soup” certainly will not apply to this pumpkin. The pumpkins of György are available via the Pécs Basket Community and at the Búza Square market held every Saturday (except when he is away for an orienteering competition).

Ágnes Óbert and her family have a few hectares of land in Borjád, where they grow two varieties of pumpkins: the sweeter, longish Orange, and the grey-skinned Nagydobosi. The latter is harvested in smaller quantities, as this year is the first time this variety has come into consideration in terms of harvesting and selling, besides, even though due to the drought, it is not expected to produce a record crop this year;the result is extremely tasty! In addition to the fresh fruit, they plan to produce pumpkin juice mixed with apples, and pumpkin jam, too. The products can be purchased through the Pécs and the Mohács Basket communities, but you can also get them directly from the storehouse of the family of Ágnes in Töttös.

As all the pumpkins are harvested in one go at the end of September, they may not be able to use up all the pumpkins for food - but nothing goes to the bin! From what has been harvested, they deliver to restaurants in and around Pécs, as well as to a children's home in Baranya. Furthermore, what we, the customers, cannot consume, goes to the local breeders as mangalica fodder. "We try not to waste anything, process and use every part of the plant," the producer says.

As behind the scenes information: the 6-year-old son of Ágnes, also actively contributes to the farm’s life. His love of nature makes him curious about all the working process, so it might happen, that the delicious products purchased by them were harvested by his tiny hands.