ARTHUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Halloween has come and gone and now, you may be looking for the right place to toss your pumpkins. Mac Condill, the Great Pumpkin Patch owner, wants people to know it’s best to think twice before just throwing it away.

Instead, he said it’s best to compost them, donate them or get a little creative. That can look like bringing them to farmers for their animals or trying a new recipe yourself.

At his farm in Arthur, he donates many leftover pumpkins to farmers in his area. That way, they can feed them to their animals.

“We’re here in Arthur and we have a lot of Amish neighbors and farmers for cows, pigs, sheep and goats,” he said. “All four of those farmers have reached out to me saying would we be able to pass along some of our extra pumpkins for their farms for their animals and we’re happy to do that.”

Condill said pumpkins have a lot of vitamins and nutrients. That’s not just for animals, but for humans too.

“The seeds will be the first thing that the critters go for,” Condill said. “Then they’ll start munching on that beautiful flesh. Often times, especially cows, you will see no remains after a couple of days,” he described.

He said pumpkins are a good kind of carbohydrate and it’s a good substitute for pastas. One of Condill’s goals is to repurpose as much as possible. Anything you can make from a potato, you can also do with a pumpkin.

If you’re looking to recycle your pumpkin, one spot is at the Landscape Recycling Center in Urbana. They’re hosting a pumpkin smash event on Saturday.