Michelle Lofthouse stands next to "Pete," her 903-pound winner of the Pumpkinmania! Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Contest. (Stuart Shim)
With carnival music playing in the distance, 22 contestants – pumpkins of many shapes and sizes – sat patiently on the woodchip-covered ground before the weigh-off while their owners surveyed the competition and children ran about the giant fruits. Some youngsters even tried to use the pumpkins as a climbing wall. Imagine: a pumpkin so big that a child would climb onto it!
Stuart Shim, the event organizer, was happy with the turnout. “It’s normally not this crowded, and what I’m really happy about today is that we have close to 20 entries which makes it a contest.”
Mayson Gilmore won the award for "the youngest grower." With the help of her family, Mayson edged out many competitors with her giant pumpkin. (Stuart Shim)
“There are a lot of parallels between gardening and investing,” he explained. “Because you sort of have to plant seeds, [and] let them grow. Some investments aren’t so good, so you have to weed them out, and the really good ones, you let them continue to grow and eventually you have to harvest them as well.”
In 2001 he decided to host Pumpkinmania! for his clients. That year, he was the winner with a 500-pounder. “At that point,” he said, “there was so much interest that I [have] continued the competition through today.”
With a larger-than-normal crowd Sunday, that interest appeared to be growing.
By high noon, each of the entrants had registered and it was time for the weigh-off. Mr. Shim, his fellow “pumpkinistas” as he calls them, and onlookers watched and cheered as a small crane lifted each pumpkin and their weights were taken.
Awards were given for a number of characteristics including the best color, funniest shape, ugliest pumpkin, youngest grower, and most experienced grower.
Mae Powell won the "Most Experienced Grower" award with her 286.5 lb. pumpkin. She received a $25.00 Gift card from Starbucks, courtesy of The Epoch Times, and a $25.00 Gift certificate from Cedros Gardens. (Stuart Shim)
The last pumpkin entry, grown by Michelle Lofthouse from Monrovia, California, was the winner at 903 pounds. Ms. Lofthouse, the perennial winner of the contest, having won in 2004, 2005, and 2007, hasn’t let her apparent domination get to her head. Modest and soft-spoken, she was happy to share her secrets and encourage other “pumpkinistas” with her suggestions.
“The main difference between growing regular pumpkins and growing really big pumpkins is the seed. You want to get the right type of seed to grow these guys, and it’s usually the Atlantic Giant, a Dills Atlantic Giant pumpkin. That’s the variety,” she explained.
These giant pumpkins take on a life of their own, which is why the growers name them. This year’s winner, “Pete,” was pollinated around the second week in July, according to Lofthouse. Besides the seed, Lofthouse points out that the next most important ingredient in a big, healthy pumpkin is soil. “Soil perforation and what you put in your soil is very, very important, because that’s what they’re going to eat. I have a large horse at home, so I compost manure all year round. You want as much compost from manure as possible.” She also adds fish emulsion fertilizer and a lot of jimson, which softens and adds calcium to the soil.
For more information on past contests and to see all entries and winners, visit: http://www.pumpkinmania.blogspot.com
