Forget canned food and nonperishable items. Ching Farm Animal Rescue and Sanctuary is conducting a food drive for used jack-o'-lanterns.

The carved and partly scorched pumpkins are being gathered to be used as food for rescued farm animals, who basically adore the stuff, said Faith Ching, owner of the nonprofit farm.

"I have one cow named Ferdinand who loves them the most and just bites right into them," she said. "It's a real treat for them."

The pumpkins can be stored for months outdoors and will be used as a "treat" for the animals to supplement their regular diet, which costs the owners nearly $4,000 per month to feed them all.

"Every little bit helps," Ching said. "The animals like a little variety, just like people."

She began rescuing animals from shelters nearly 10 years ago, starting with her two cats and later a couple of pot-bellied pigs. She now has about 100 animals, including horses, cows, emus, chickens, turkeys, ostriches, goats, ducks and geese, and more — all housed at the farm, which is located near her home on five acres in Herriman.

The food drive for pumpkins will give her pigs, cows, goats, sheep and others something tasty to eat, and it will give residents a useful thing to do with their rotting decorations, otherwise headed for the landfill.

"They're just trying to use as much of it as they can because so many jack-o'-lanterns go to waste," said Doug Jennings, spokesman for Wild Oats' 400 South store, where used pumpkins are being collected for the farm.

Pumpkins can be taken to the store, located at 400 South and 645 East, until Wednesday. They will be delivered to the farm and stored in the garden area until they are mashed up and used for food, mainly for the 20 pigs, who have all been rescued from being slaughtered for food themselves.

"They are individuals just like your cat and dog at home and they should be treated that way," Ching said.

Schmidt's Produce in Herriman donated the remains of its pumpkin patches to the farm as well, giving them fresh vegetables to feed to the animals through the winter months. Ching said they can always use more, including the unground wheat that gets rotated out of food storage supplies in many Utah homes.

For more information about the farm and opportunities to volunteer, visit www.chingsanctuary.org.

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E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com