The great pumpkins arrived in RR Saturday

Ken Johnston
Editor

The 9th annual Rainy River Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival saw its all time record smashed for the biggest pumpkin Saturday.
Kyle Paulson and her husband Steve Thorson of Pinewood, Minnesota, (near Bemidji) both weighed in record setting pumpkins. The former record was set by Wayne Both of Barwick several years ago at 742 lbs. Last year’s champ, Ben Johnson of Kakabeka Falls, Ont. weighed in at 729 lbs to hold third on the all time record list for the local festival.
Paulson’s weighed in at 765 pounds to hold top spot in the weighoffs. “I said to myself, please let his (her husband’s) be heavier!”
But Thorson’s weighed in at 756 pounds. Steve said, “I guess I will be eating some crow for the next year!” In all likelihood it will be hoe, a golden one at that, he will be eating as his wife won the coveted trophy for having the largest pumpkin a the festival. Paulson won $1,000 and Thorson $500.
Paulson also won the Rookie of the Year Award, a silver watering can, for growing the largest pumpkin as a first time grower to the RR Festival.
However, both Paulson and Thorson are not strangers to growing giant pumpkins. Thorson became interested in the sport about 6 or 7 years ago. “I like gardening and read an article on it and got some seeds.” His first attempt yielded a 180 pounder. “I liked it and searched for better seeds.” He then hit 300 lbs. and from there went right to 837 lbs.
“I was a bagpiper (now retired from it) and I told the guys in the band that I serenaded my pumpkins to get them that big!”
Thorson said that the secret to his and his wife’s success is, “Good seed. Good soil and good gardening.” Their patch was 60 feet by 60 feet and the two pumpkins they brought were not the biggest ones in the patch. “We had one 900+ lbs but it developed a hole in it so we could not bring it.”
They had four plants in the patch and give each pumpkin about 1.5 inches of water per week. They are not sure of how many gallons that is, but it is a lot.
They are not new to the winner’s podium. Thorson won $1,500 U.S. at a contest in Anomosa, Iowa three years ago with his 837 pounder. Then two years ago he won at Rolland, Manitoba with an 865 pounder.
Another veteran grower at this year’s festival, who set a personal record with a 633 pounder, Gord Olson, said he was giving his pumpkins 100 gallons of water per day. “I wish I would have had two more weeks of growing time, “ said Olson figuring his would have topped 700lbs as well.
Another grower who had a substantial pumpkin at the festival said that his secret has to do with the type of water he uses. “I pump my water directly from the river at a secret location. The sturgeon poop in the water helps the pumpkins to grow as big as sturgeon do!” The grower asked to remain anonymous as he is sure he is onto something that will make him the top grower next year.
Rounding out the top three was former champion from Thunder Bay, Don Cronk who had a 724 lb. pumpkin. He won $100.
Last year’s champ, Ben Johnson, sent his wife Lesley with a pumpkin that came in 4th at 670 lbs. Ben was attending a festival that was on the same day in Thunder Bay. “We tried to stagger ours so that it would not be the same weekend as here, but then Rainy changed its date,” said Lesley.
Rainy River switched the weekends for the pumpkin festival and the walleye tournament to try and improve fishing results at the RRWT.
Other category results
Heaviest Pumpkin-Jr. Grower
1st Kyle Olson 353 lbs. $50 in prize money.
2nd Daniel Milling 323 lbs. $25 prize.
3rd Damon, Aaron and Nolan Short 248 lbs. $10 prize.
Hidden Weight
It was 241 lbs. and was won by the Shorts with their 248 lb. pumpkin. They won $100.
Banzai Award for smallest pumpkin
Lara Wood.
Ugliest Pumpkin
Ike Feenstra
Most Attractive Pumpkin
Jessica Marken
Best Decorated Pumpkin
1st Edna Woods
2nd Lindsey Bourre
3rd Alexis Sharp
Oddest Overall Vegetable
1st Annie Van Rozen
2nd Lara Wood
Distance Award for the pumpkin that travelled the furthest to the contest
Don Cronk of Thunder Bay.
Best Pumpkin Dessert
Carol Jenson
Best Pumpkin Pie
Vivian Locking
Guess the Weight of a pumpkin contest
It was 185 lbs. and there was a tie with John Wiersema and Dave Gosselin guessing 187 lbs. each. They each won $28.
Pumpkin Seed Spitting contest
Child: Kylee Fileccia–10’ 8”
Youth: Owen Harrison–16’7”
Adult: Jeff Fraser–31’2”
Tallest Sunflower
Jack Elliott: 166” tall.
Event organizer Eltjo Wiersema was very pleased with the turnout. Entries were up from the previous year and weights were very good. “We had nice weather and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.” For next year, Rainy River’s centennial, he hopes to have some 1,000 pound pumpkins weigh in.
To add icing to the cake, a film crew was in Rainy River doing a documentary on Yonge St., the longest street in the world. They filmed most of the pumpkin festival and even had the entire crowd in unison send greetings to their neighbours at the other end of Yonge St. in Toronto.