Out of your Gourd!
TODD HIGDON GateHouse Plus

Traveling east on Highway 60 through rural America, one might notice a sign ordering motorists to look for the "Ozark Country Creations Tomatoes and Gourds."

So naturally comes the question - what is a gourd and what can you do with one?

A gourd is a member of the plant family having a tendrilbearing vine, with both male and female blossoms and producing a fruit which has an outer shell covered with pulped seeds which are secured in three sections along the shell's insides.

In early times, gourds were commonly used for storing supplies, hauling water, making cooking and eating utensils, bird feeders, birdhouses, musical instruments and rattles.

For the Dennis Hatfield family, they have found a niche in the gourd business.

"I started planting gourds in 1987, (and after putting them up for sale in 1992 at a local mall), I sold out of them three days straight."

At the various craft shows which dot the fertile center of the country, Hatfield would sell the dried gourds complete with various writings. The customers would buy the products and paint them to whatever theme they desired.

"There are a lot of different types of designs that one can paint on them," he said.

With the popularity of gourds peaking in 1993, the Hatfields planted 10 acres. Their dream nearly gave way to devastation when more than two feet of rain blanketed the farm, uprooting the planted gourds and floating them like a sea of geese.

They still managed to produce 15,000 gourds however, Hatfield said.

"We now have between 25- 30 acres of gourds, producing more than 26,000 gourds (annually)," he said.

The Hatfields have gourds ranging in sizes from peanuts to "behemoths" tipping the scales at more than 100 pounds. There are two types of gourds the Hatfields grow and sell: Hardshell and ornamental.

"They come in a wide range of sizes and colors," he said. "Once they're dried out, they can be used for crafts or even dishes. Some third world countries still use them for bowls or water dippers."

To use a gourd for making a birdhouse, birdfeeder or other craft-like item, Hatfield suggests the outer shell should be about one-fourth of an inch thick. Painting wise, oil or acrylic paints are often used and, in some cases, a drill is needed because of the hard outer shell.

"We are in the top third or the fourth in the nation producing gourds," Hatfield said. "We have people from across the nation that order from us."