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Joseph Gaboury and his record-breaking pumpkin. The pumpkin, which weighed in at 1,695 pounds broke the state of Maine record of 1,471, making it the winner of the weigh-off and one for the record books. Gaboury said that the pumpkin grew 580 pounds in just 15 days during the growing season. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
By Eleanor Cade Busby
The Sixth Annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off, sponsored by Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta, was attended by over 100 spectators on Sunday.
The pumpkins, slated to arrive at 7 a.m., showed up closer to 9 a.m. as growers waited until the last minute to harvest. “Yesterday’s rain slowed things,” said
grower Elroy Morgan “Everyone wants to be sure they have the best weight and these giants drink a lot of water.”
Joseph Gaboury said knew he had a winner when he brought his entrant to Pinkham’s Plantation on Sunday morning. His pumpkin, which set a new state record, weighing
in at 1695 pounds, sat on the ground while the back wheels of the tractor attempting to lift it rose about three feet off the ground under the weight.
Volunteers jumped onto the tractor’s back end to add counterweight, and Gaboury’s prize was placed on a palette sitting. Using a forklift, Pinkham’s Plantation
owner, and Pumpkinfest co-founder Buzz Pinkham was able to maneuver the fruit into the waiting area with no damage.
Gaboury’s pumpkin easily broke the existing state record of 1471 pounds, making it the winner of the weigh-off and one for the record books. “That pumpkin grew 580
pounds in just 15 days during heavy rains,” Gaboury said, “You could almost stand there and watch it grow.”
Five Winslow siblings made the Kids Pumpkin competition a family affair. All five Winslows had great entries ranging from Jeremiah’s 227 pound pumpkin to sister
Tirzah’s 381 pound entrant.
Justice Pierpont took the Kids division handily with his 734 pound pumpkin. His sister Paris was there cheering him on. She defeated her brother in the 2013
competition but had problems with rot this year and had no entry. “I’ll be back next year,” she said. “He doesn’t get the last word.”
In the Giant Squash competition, Steve Pierpont won with a 1459.5 pound squash, the second largest ever weighed in competition in the State of Maine.
The Great Pumpkin weigh-off is Maine’s largest weigh-off, with a total purse of $10,000 awarded.
The top five prize-winning pumpkins in the official GPC Weigh-Off will remain for display in Damariscotta during the duration of Damariscotta Pumpkinfest.
Many growers donate their pumpkins, either for display downtown, as a regatta pumpkin boat, as hurling/dropping/catapulting ammunition, or for use in the kid’s
activities throughout the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta.
Plans were already being made to harvest the much coveted seeds from the giants for next year’s planting.
Pinkham’s Plantation gives away seedlings and instructions each spring to anyone interested in trying to grow a giant pumpkin.
The annual weigh in is the kickoff for Damariscotta Pumpkinfest, which continues through Columbus Day weekend. The giant pumpkins and squash will be deployed into
downtown Damariscotta this week.
