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By now, you have probably figured out that I love pumpkins. But did you also know that I love trains? Well, that’s why when I heard about the Pumpkinliner, I just had to share it with you.

Starting Oct. 6,  Fillmore & Western Railway Co. in Santa Clara, Calif., will be running trains to the “Icabog” pumpkin farm, where pumpkins go for $1 and up. The private pumpkin patch also has a carousel, a haunted hay maze and an arts & crafts fair. Sounds like a great family fun day to me.

For more information, visit their website at www.fwry.com.

Yesterday, we were driving by our local Food 4 Less and as I looked in through the store’s open windows, I saw a big box of pumpkins.

Wow. It’s only half-way through September and its already time to think about your October Jack-o-Lantern.

But, as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, the pumpkin crop isn’t going to be as big as it was in the past. In fact, many pumpkin farmers are advising you to expect quality over quantity.

Also, keep in mind that the purpose of your pumpkin dictates which kind of pumpkin you should choose. “For carving jack-o-lanterns, select Happy Jack, Halloween or Spookie varieties, which are larger than 12 inches and weigh 20 to 40 pounds,” Dr. Dymple Cooksey, nutrition specialist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, told Texas A&M Agriculture News. “These are too coarse, stringy and dry for eating.”

If you want to cook with your pumpkin, you want to choose the smaller, sweeter varieties such as Small Sugar or Triple Treat, which are 8-10 inches in diameter, weight around 6-8 pounds, are more rounded than your typical Jack-O-Lantern varieties.

O.K. I just have to say it — pumpkins rock! They are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin A, are a good source of antioxidants, and now, they may contain an compound that helps protect against diabetes.

Researchers in China found that an extract from pumpkin (Cucurbita ficifolia) promoted the regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood.

The rats used in this study, conducted by scientists from the East China Normal University, modeled type-1 diabetes, but the researchers believe the pumpkin extract may also play a role in type-2 diabetes. It is also their hope that the research can be reproduced in humans. Read more »

A Malaysian research has discovered that a component of a special pumpkin flour can weaken cancer cells. The component is resistance starch, which leads to the production of propionic acid.

“The acid causes the starch to remain indigestible thus fermenting the bacteria and weakening the cancer cells,” Technology Industry Department lecturer Noor Aziah Abdul Aziz told reporters after receiving the gold medal in conjunction with the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s participation at the Malaysian Technology Expo on March 29. “It changes the oxidation process.” Read more »