Praise the gourd

Point Aconi farmer snags Giant Pumpkin bragging rights for 2020 in Millville

MILLVILLE — The crowd of more than 100 people clapped and cheered when Jody Rendell’s prize-winning pumpkin’s weight was announced.

For five years, Rendell has been trying to grow a 1,000-pounder and nab the win at the annual Joe King Memorial Giant Pumpkin Weigh-In and 2020 was the year he did both.

Grown from his own seed, Rendell’s greenhouse-raised monster weighed 1,388 pounds, securing him the top spot over Todd Graham from Judique who got second with a 1,091-pound pumpkin.

“I try different things each year,” said Rendell, whose largest weigh-in before this was 842 pounds.

“It’s 90 per cent organic. I use a little synthetic fertilizer starting off but then it’s mostly organic — seaweed and stuff like that.”

It was also the first year Graham grew a pumpkin over 1,000 pounds in his three years competing in the yearly competition.

“It was a good growing season. Very warm,” said Graham, who finished second in the competition in 2018.

“A thousand pounds was my goal. I’m very happy.”

LIKE A BABY

Farmer Hank Niesten emceed the competition and told the spectators growing a giant pumpkin can be “like having a little baby.”

“It’s a lot of work. I’ve been there,” said Neisten, whose first attempt at growing a giant pumpkin resulted in a 240-pound gourd.

“There’s a lot of watering, day and night. You’re up early in the morning to take care of the pumpkin.”

Graham grew his pumpkin outside and said not counting rain he used 12,000 litres of water.

“They’re pretty thirsty,” he said.

Growing monster pumpkins is a serious business for some and judges have to check the bottoms of the entries to make sure there are no cracks or holes which could be used to make the pumpkins heavier.

“Some people have shoved rocks or dirt up in the holes to make them heavier,” said Lois MacNeil, a grower who competes and helps organize the event. “That’s never happened here but it has in other areas.”

Rendell said trying to find the best seeds can be costly.

“Some seeds go for $1,000

US online,” he said. “That’s for one seed.”

Although competitive, the growers around Cape Breton are happy to share their seeds to expand the number of giant pumpkin enthusiasts and competitors in the yearly event, which saw a higher number of entries this year.

“I think a lot of people were staying home because of COVID this year,” said Dr. Mahmood Naqvi, winner of the 2019 competition.

FAMILY FUN HOBBY

Named after farmer Joe King who was a driving force behind agriculture in Boulanderie, the crowd was predominantly families. However, MacNeil said it’s more than the weigh-in that’s fun for the family.

“Growing the pumpkins is a really fun thing to do with your family,” said the beef farmer, who will be carving and displaying her giant pumpkin at their Point Aconi location.

“My husband helps me and this year, my two granddaughters (who are both three) grew their own. They’re always in the garden

with me.

“It’s something we have a lot of fun doing together.”

NICOLE SULLIVAN • CAPE BRETON POST Jody Rendell from Point Aconi stands next to his winning entry in the 2020 Joe King Memorial Giant Pumpkin Weigh-In held at the Millville Community Centre on Saturday. Weighing 1,385 pounds (628 kg), Rendell’s greenhouse-grown pumpkin outweighed the second-place gourd by almost 300 pounds.

NICOLE SULLIVAN • CAPE BRETON POST Lois MacNeil, one of the many growers who help run the annual Joe King Memorial Giant Pumpkin Weigh-In, shows off her entry before the start of the event. Her monster weighed 718 pounds, which she was happy with but it didn’t beat her personal best which was 875 pounds.

NICOLE SULLIVAN • CAPE BRETON POST Peter Eyking proudly shows the plaque he won for ugliest pumpkin, for his entry that was in memory of his mother Jeanne Eyking.