OWENSBORO, Ky. — Within the barbed wire at the Daviess County Detention Center, fields that once burst with orange pumpkins now stand mostly harvested, their yield a testament to a decade-long program that’s growing more than crops—it’s sowing redemption and community connection.

Leading this effort is inmate Gary Mayfield, whose work in the garden offers both a personal lifeline and a gift to local children and seniors.

For 10 years, inmates at the detention center have tended sprawling gardens, producing about 2,000 pumpkins this season alone. The crops donated to elementary schools, nursing homes, and nonprofits like Faithful Friends bring joy to often-overlooked groups. Schoolchildren paint and carve the pumpkins, while mums brighten days for elderly residents who rarely receive vi

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