COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 2019


Good gourd! Giant vegetables


weigh-off Hobby growers nurture gourds the size of cows


by RONDA PAYNE LANGLEY – It takes a


mighty big pumpkin to win top spot in the annual Giant Pumpkins BC weigh-off, one of several events held around the world celebrating the giant vegetable. This year’s first-place winner was Scott Carley, whose gargantuan gourd weighed in at 1,213 pounds. This year was Carley’s sixth win, but according to weigh- off organizer Kirstin Carley (Scott’s wife), it wasn’t Carley’s plumpest pumpkin. Two years ago, in 2017, he squashed the competition and won the BC record for heaviest pumpkin with a 1,543-pounder. The scale does most of the


work in determining winners but Kirstin says each pumpkin is also measured with a tape measure in three different ways prior to taking a very careful trip to the scale by forklift. “This gives us an estimate


of the weight,” she explains of the measurements. “It’s usually fairly close, but some weigh heavier and some weigh lighter.” Alf Krause, co-owner of


Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery, has hosted the event for the last five years and had the honour of running the forklift.


The heaviest pumpkin at


this year’s event came from Victoria. Glenn Dixon’s Atlantic Giant pumpkin weighed in at a massive 1,361 pounds but, sadly, it was disqualified due to a crack in the stem that damaged the cavity. In addition to Carley’s giant


pumpkin, other winning produce included Dave Chan’s 1,202-pound second- place winner which also earned the Howard Dill Award for the prettiest pumpkin. Maurizio Camparmo’s


third-place pumpkin tipped the scale at 929 pounds. Carley also won first place


for a giant squash that weighed 1,066 pounds and a 111-pound field pumpkin, both of which set new BC records in their categories. Jeff Pelletier placed first in BC and third in Canada with his Bushel Gourd (219 pounds) and first for a 2.04- pound tomato.


While Scott cleaned up in the awards, giant pumpkin


growers are a close-knit group says Kirstin. “There is a strong camaraderie between the growers,” she says. Scott grew his first giant


pumpkin in 2003, then got serious about the hobby and started competing seven years ago. In 2015, through Giant Pumpkins BC, Kirstin took on organizing BC’s official weigh-off event (it has international standing through its affiliation with the US organization, Great Pumpkin Commonwealth) and the event relocated to Krause’s farm. Kate Mumford started


taking part in the competition about six years ago and has won the Howard Dill Award in the past. She was hoping her pumpkin would check in at just over 800 pounds. “The weather’s not been as conducive, so [the entries] are slightly smaller this year. It’s a whole lot of weird hobby,” she says.


Jeff Pelletier emceed the


event and explains that weather was difficult this year


41


WOOHOO! Wayne Namana, above, and daughters Savannah and Bella celebrate the news that their pumpkin hit 387 pounds on the scale. Below, Jeff Pelletier preps the crowd as another giant gourd makes its way to the scale. RONDA PAYNE PHOTOS


with the cool and wet September. While that type of weather increases the weight and may give pumpkins a heavier poundage than


estimates predict, it may lead to vines self-terminating and the pumpkin stopping its growth.


All entries for giant


pumpkin are Atlantic Giants. They’re joined by their cousins field pumpkins, squash and other massive vegetables at the event.


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