Giant pumpkin, squash, and gourd growers from around the state battled a cold, wet, and humid summer to reach the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth weigh-off, held in Newcastle on Sunday, Oct. 1.
A state record-breaking long gourd and a familiar competitor winning his first champion spot highlighted the event at Louis Doe Home Center, which kicks off the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta.
“We’ll probably go the rest of our lives without seeing a summer this wet and humid,” master of ceremonies Charlie Lopresti told the crowd at the Oct. 1 event for professional growers, which followed a volunteer weigh-off on Saturday, Sept. 30.
In conversations with Lopresti as their pumpkins were weighed, growers mentioned challenges from heavy rains, cooler temperatures, and the third-highest summer humidity ever recorded in southern Maine, along with later pollination dates.
All pumpkins were below 2,000 pounds and none broke state records this year, though two weighed in at more than 1,500 pounds.
One record was broken by Elroy Morgan, of Charleston, who grew a 150.88-inch long gourd, or just over 12.5 feet. Morgan outdid his 2021 state record of 142.25 inches. He said he grew the gourd from a trellis on his house and pollinated the plant by hand at night.
Morgan also entered a giant pumpkin, placing second with 1,847.5 pounds. He took the champion spot five times in previous years.
“It wept sap all summer long,” Morgan said, which Lopresti explained was the result of excess rain causing the fruit to swell and crack.
Scott St. Laurent, of Lyman, took first place in the adult giant pumpkin category with 1,958-pound fruit, just one pound short of his personal record.
“I’m with the big boys now,” he said with a smile, noting his excitement at having his name on a plaque of winners including Lopresti, Morgan, and Jefferson grower Edwin Pierpont. “No more asking me for (pumpkin-growing) secrets. I’m not going to give you any more!”
St. Laurent has been entering pumpkins in the Damariscotta weigh-off for six years and took home his first champion title. He also won top honors at the Cumberland Fair for the first time last weekend.
“Pumpkin growing is an addiction, but it can be a heartbreaking one,” St. Laurent said.
St. Laurent was introduced to giant pumpkin growing by Lopresti and said time with the plants is therapeutic for his disability.
“I’m in the patch every day,” he said. “I’d rather be there. My wife is a widow to the pumpkins.”
St. Laurent said he starts counting the days until the competition returns as soon as he arrives home from Damariscotta. Now that he has taken top honors, his next goal is to break 2,000 pounds.
Richard Powell, of Nobleboro, won the Howard Dill Award for best-looking fruit. He said these days he focuses on growing for appearance, rather than size alone, and suggested to the crowd that displays on Main Street include one pumpkin in its natural state rather than carved.
According to Powell, a pretty pumpkin is achieved by getting the seed of a good-looking parent plant.
This year’s single entry in the professional youth giant pumpkin competition was a 355.5-pounder grown by Addison Tibbetts, 6, of Standish. She used seed from Al Berard, the “godfather of pumpkin-growing in Maine,” according to Lopresti.
Tibbetts’ mother Kayla Harris, grandfather Matt Holmes, and great uncle Russell Holmes also placed in squash and pumpkin categories Sunday.
Matt Holmes brought 39 pumpkins to Pumpkinfest this year and placed third in the giant squash competition. He said he covers his squash with a comforter to keep the color light.
Lopresti himself, a longtime pumpkin grower and three-time Damariscotta champion, took a year off from the pumpkin competition but entered a second-place giant squash at 1,298 pounds. The pumpkin rested on artificial turf left over from a skiing green screen shot at his job as chief meteorologist for WGME CBS 13.
Two giant marrows were also entered in the competition for this first time in the state this year, according to Lopresti. A 62.5-pound marrow by Austin Fairhead, of Stratham, N.H., placed ahead of a 60.5-pound entry by Sarah Whitty, of Veazie.
Lopresti said to agreement from the crowd that he believes the Damariscotta weigh-off has become increasingly competitive with other competitions in the state and region.
Pumpkins from the weekend’s weigh-offs will become boats and art installations for the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta, which runs through Monday, Oct. 9. For more information and an event schedule, go to damariscottapumpkinfest.com.
