Daryl Tingley credits his success to intense gardening, paying attention to detail, and lots of weeding.
For the second year in a row, Daryl and Maureen Tingley of Fredricton, N.B. took first place in the heaviest pumpkin contest at the Annapolis Valley Giant Vegetable Growers’ Competition and Weigh-off in Waterville.
On Sept. 27, the couple defended their title with a pumpkin that tipped the scales at 1,495 pounds.
Last year, the Tingley’s giant pumpkin set a Waterville record at 1,808 pounds.
Tingley said his planting was delayed by about two weeks due to the flooding in New Brunswick this spring. Other farmers agreed that this growing season had been particularly difficult. A cold, wet spring was followed by a dry summer. A hurricane in early September flattened crops and two early frosts added to the trouble.
“It was a terrible growing season this year,” said farmer Frank Ansems, an AVGVG weigh-off judge.
Fred Ansems edged out his father for second place with a 1,374-pound pumpkin. His father, Gerard Ansems, grew a pumpkin that weighed in at 1,354 lbs.
Fred Ansems reported that his second-place pumpkin actually continued to grow after Dorian called an early halt to the growing season for most farmers.
“It put on about 50 pounds even after the hurricane,” he said.
Growing giant pumpkins is a labour of love. The growers baby their pumpkins all summer.
“You have to consider everything - soil, location, climate, fertilizer,” said Tingley.
His winning pumpkin grew alone on a 1,000-square-foot plot.
“You have to take care of the whole plot. I weed, weed, weed.”
Tingley covered the pumpkin with a white bedsheet throughout the growing season and added a sleeping bag as the nights became cooler. He watched the leaves to know what fertilizers to use.
“The leaves will tell you what the plant needs.”
This is the 11th year for the AVGVG weigh off, hosted at Glad Gardens Family Farm Market, said Jeff Reid, Great Pumpkin Commonweath co-ordinator and this year’s president of the AVGVG. Reid’s own entry weighted in at 838 pounds.
In order to weigh the giant vegetables, the pumpkins are placed in a sling and then lifted by a tractor onto a scale. Reid said the vegetables are checked for cuts or flaws of more than two inches.
It’s the colouring that classifies the vegetable as a pumpkin, according to Reid. One English marrow squash was weighed in the pumpkin category because of its orange-coloured flesh.
While the giant pumpkins steal the show, other giant vegetables are weighed in for prizes as well. Fred Ansems won the giant squash category with a 910-pound squash and Gerard Ansems won with a 58-pound watermelon.
Catherina Ansems won first place with an 18-pound cabbage, as well as the longest carrot prize with a 27.5-inch carrot.
It’s not just seasoned farmers who took home awards. Twelve-year-old Michael Armstrong of Brooklyn won first place in the young grower’s heaviest pumpkin competition with a 342-pound pumpkin. He also won first place in the young grower’s division for largest sunflower head, longest carrot, heaviest beet, heaviest radish and heaviest cabbage.
Prizes range from $800 for the heaviest pumpkin and $500 for the heaviest squash, down to $20 to $50 for smaller vegetables such watermelons and beets.
Reid said the annual weigh off, an official Great Pumpkin Commonwealth event, is always happy to have new growers. The AVGVG provides information and help for those who want to try their hand at growing their own giant vegetables.
For more information on the Annapolis Valley Giant Vegetable Growers, visit www.avgvg.com.
- Story by Anita Flowers
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2019 WATERVILLE RESULTS
And the winners are…
Top three winners in each adult category
Giant Pumpkins
1. Daryl and Maureen Tingley 1,495 lbs.
2. Fred Ansems 1,374 lbs.
3. Gerard Ansems 1,354 lbs.
Giant Squash
- Fred Ansems 910 lbs.
- Gerard Ansems 906 lbs.
- Frank Ansems 730 lbs.
Giant Watermelon
- Gerard Ansems 58 lbs.
- Fred Ansems 48 lbs.
- Caterina Ansems 27 lbs.
Heaviest Bushel Gourd
- Gerard Ansems 266 lbs.
- Frank Ansems 153 lbs.
- Fred Ansems 131 lbs.
Heaviest Field Pumpkin
- Gerard Ansems 97 lbs.
- Fred Ansems 96 lbs.
- Catherina Ansems 90 lbs.
Heaviest Green Marrow
- Frank Ansems 163 lbs.
- Fred Ansems 75 lbs
- Gerard Ansems 63 lbs.
Heaviest Tomato
1.Brian Kenneally 3 lb. 1 oz.
2. Gerard Ansems 2 lb. 5 oz
3. Victoria Kenneally 2 lb. 12 oz.
Tallest Sunflower
- Frank Ansems 181 inches
- Fred Ansems 173 inches
- Marilyn Ansemss 162.5 inches
Largest Sunflower Head
- Wes Benedict 15.5 inches
- Gerard Ansems 11.25 inches
- Marilyn Ansems 11 inches
Largest Beet
- Wes Benedict 13 lb., 5 oz
- Adam Armstrong 13 lb.
- Stewart Banks 11 lb., 12 oz.
Largest Onion
- Marion Foster 1 lb 9 oz.
- Gordon Foster 1 lb. 8 oz.
- Tie: Fred Ansems and Judy Knox – 1 lb., 5 oz.
Tallest Corn
- Tie for 1 and 2: Marilyn Ansems and Frank Ansems – 150 inches
Fred Ansems 142 inches
Heaviest Radish
- Wes Benedict 12 lb., 4oz.
- Adam Armstrong 10 lb., 7oz.
- Catherina Ansems 7 lb., 10 oz.
Heaviest Turnip
- Wes Benedict 24 lb., 10oz.
- Adam Armstrong 22 lb., 11oz
- Jeremy Zwicker 5 lb., 4 oz.
Longest Carrot
- Catherina Ansems 27.5 inches
- Gerard Ansems 17. 75 inches
- Marion Foster 11.25 inches
Heaviest Cabbage
- Catherina Ansems 18 lb.s
- Tie: Gerard Ansems and Jeremy Zwicker 11 lbs.
- Fred Ansems 10 lbs
Heaviest Kohlrabi
- Gordon Foster 21 lbs., 13 oz.
- Fred Ansems 20 lbs.
- Marion Foster 18 lbs., 3 oz.
