Courtesy Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest
By Paul Post
Wayne Seelow expects to get up to $1.50 per pound for the three giant pumpkins he raised, weighing more than 1,000 pounds each.
That’s a pretty good return, but his real payoff is the smiles they put on children’s faces.
“We have an open house every year,” said Seelow, of Edinburg, Saratoga County. “I do it for the kids. They love it.”
He was among the growers from New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania taking part in the 10th annual Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest on Saturday, Sept. 27. Hundreds of people turned out on the unseasonably mild, early autumn day to join the fun and watch entries tip the scales.
“It can get pretty dramatic when the last few are weighed,” said Andy Wolf, New York State Giant Pumpkin Growers Association president. “This is very entertaining, especially when it comes down to the last few pumpkins that are separated by not very much.”
The $2,000 grand prize winner was Larry Masters, of East Nassau, whose huge pumpkin weighed in at 2,212.5 pounds. A total of $7,000 was awarded to first-, second- and third-place finishers in five different categories – giant pumpkins, field pumpkins, gourds, watermelon and giant tomatoes.
Look at the people out there,” Seelow said. “We’ve got people from all over the place. This is what it’s all about.”
Pumpkinfest was held on High Rock Avenue, just down the street from the busy Saratoga Farmer’s Market. Huge throngs went back and forth between the two venues, giving a welcome boost to the Spa City’s already vibrant downtown.
Agriculture is a major contributor to Saratoga County’s economy, especially in autumn with numerous family-oriented activities such as apple picking, corn mazes and children’s attractions at places such as Ellms Family Farm in Ballston Spa and Bowman Orchards in Rexford.
“Agritourism together with the equine industry are vital components of the Saratoga County economy,” said Greg Connors, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation president. “The Saratoga County Chamber and Discover Saratoga deserve a lot of credit for their focus on those economic sectors not typically associated with economic development. One of the many major attractions of Saratoga County both nationally and internationally is that we are a diverse and four-season economy.”
A recent report commissioned by SEDC says more than 10 percent of the jobs created in Saratoga County, over $50 million in earnings and $210 million in sales are generated by the agriculture and equine sectors. “It’s important to note that for this analysis, the equine industry does not include the economic impact contributed by Saratoga Race Course,” Connors said.
Now that the Pumpkinfest competition is over, Seelow expects to sell his entries to a garden center in Maryland, which uses them to attract customers each fall.
While they fetch a good price, raising giant pumpkins can also be a time-consuming and costly venture. People don’t realize it costs $1,500 to $2,000 a year to grow these,” he said. “Two-and-a-half gallons of fertilizer can run you two hundred-and-some bucks.”
“You don’t buy these seeds in a store,” he said. “I go to auctions during the winter and buy off other folks. Sometimes I do keep my own.”
Seelow plants seeds in April, with visions of a bountiful fall harvest.
“I’ve got a little greenhouse,” he said. “Then I try to get plants in the ground the first or second weekend of May. It all depends on the weather. This year it was horrible, cold and wet. I didn’t put mine in until the third week of May because it was so wet.”
Giant pumpkins are so big that they have to be picked up with a forklift and transported on trailers.
“You can have white ones, orange ones, kind of orange and green,” Seelow said. “It’s all in the seed, it’s all in the genetics.”
After months of tender loving care, the huge gourds become almost like part of the family. “A lot of people name their pumpkins,” he said. “Like that one over there is Marylou.”
Growers are a pretty tight-knit community, with lots of good-natured camaraderie even during weigh-offs. But newcomers are more than welcome to join the fun and keep the hobby alive.
Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest is one of many such events held throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe to determine the world’s largest pumpkin each year. Results from each competition are tabulated and may be found online at websites such as www.bigpumpkin.com and www.gpc1.org.
If you’re thinking about getting involved, though, Seeley offers a word of caution.
“There’s a lot of work into growing these,” he said. “If you’re married don’t grow ’em because you’ll be divorced!”