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Battle of the Bulging Pumpkins

September 29, 2009 - CUMBERLAND -- The growers slogged through wet weather for much of the summer. They applied fertilizer, pulled weeds, pinched off sucker vines and otherwise tended their plants through seemingly endless rain in anticipation of the 22nd Annual Maine State Giant Pumpkin and Squash Contest.

The contest was held Sunday as part of the opening day of the 138th Cumberland County Fair. The wet growing season meant fewer entries – two dozen rather than the usual 40 or so – and smaller fruit. And the soggy weather returned in time for the weigh-off Sunday as a steady rain soaked the sweatshirts and slicked the parkas of contestants and supporters gathered outside the dairy barn.

Green squashes and pumpkins ranging in hue from cream to bright orange awaited the weigh-off on pallets, nestled on blankets, cushions and foam. They were so big that pallet jacks were used to move them.

Five or six men had to work together to tilt each entry, slide a tarp underneath and lift it onto the scale.

Even so, it was clear to the experienced eye that the weather had stunted growth this year.

"We usually have one or two over 1,000 (pounds)," said Bill Clark of Bristol, the weigh-off coordinator. "One or two are close (this year), but I don't think any of them made it."

The world record is held by Joe Jutrus of Rhode Island, who grew a 1,689-pound pumpkin two years ago. John Powers of Harpswell, who grew a 1,130-pound entry in 2006, is the record-holder for both Maine and the Cumberland County Fair event.

Gary Hearrin, a retired auto mechanic from Wells, didn't feel satisfied with the size of his entry, a bright-orange pumpkin that came in at 479 pounds. It did win the prize for the most beautiful pumpkin grown by an adult, but Hearrin didn't take much credit for that.

"Once you plant, you haven't got much choice," he said.

Chip Button, an accountant from Madison, is a novice grower who didn't think he'd have an entry this year. He hadn't realized how much time the endeavor would take. He built a germination box and miniature hoop houses for the project, and rose at 4 a.m. a few times to warm the plants with an electric heater.

He thought he was finished after he burned his plants with fungicide.

"I thought they were dead. I went off sailing," Button said. But after four weeks of neglect, he returned and found the pumpkins growing.

Button hoped his entry – a flat, lopsided yellow pumpkin that weighed in at 475 pounds – would win in the ugliest category.

But that distinction – as well as the adult giant pumpkin win – went to the godfather of Maine's giant pumpkin community, Al Berard of Sanford.

Given the weather, Berard was pleased with his pale 896.5-pound entry this year.

He gave a thumbs-up when the weight was announced and then returned to his pumpkin to help carry it away.

Berard, who is vice president of the Maine Pumpkin Growers Organization, later explained that a high elevation – 4 or 5 feet – and good drainage seemed to be key this year.

"It's always fun to grow a big one," he said.

The other parts of the fairgrounds were sparsely populated Sunday. Operators attended rides that were largely still due to a lack of riders. A smattering of customers sat under canopies by food stands or placed orders at the windows.

Contestants were busy with their animals in the livestock barns, and exhibitions went on in the halls. Harness racing takes place rain or shine.

Attendance this year is expected to be in the normal range of about 50,000 people, said Bruce Flanigan, president of the Cumberland Farmers' Club.

The dedication of traditional fairgoers, the extension of free admission to children up to 12 years old and new activities and attractions should help round out the figures as long as the rain doesn't get worse, he said.

About 10 people who didn't seek shelter under the tent stood in the rain, gently bouncing to the music of the Don Campbell Band. Among them were Ann Nelson and Kent Scarponi of Bath.

"We always come every year," Nelson said before explaining why they picked Sunday to come. "It's the first day."

By ANN S. KIM, Staff Writer, Portland Press Herald, September 28, 2009


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