Growing Family Memories as Well as Pumpkins
Russ Price, a giant pumpkin grower since 2004, looks back at his beginning days as a gardener when, as he says, he “assisted” his grandmother and mother growing flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees, and developed an enjoyment of being outside and working in the yard. Four years ago he planted his first giant pumpkin seeds on the same day his daughter Lauren was born. He tells the story, “Well 150 days later my daughter weighed 17.5 pounds and my Atlantic Giant pumpkin named Asteroid was weighed at the Pumpkinmania contest for an official weight of 345 pounds. I was in about 10th place.”
Lauren has grown (at her human pace) and is now “assisting” Russ as he gardens and is already a prize winner. The Cinderella pumpkins she and her father planted won her First Prize at the Orange County Fair. Her preschool will also benefit as they raffle off a 160-pound pumpkin donated to help them raise an expected $700. Russ said they are looking for other charities to donate pumpkins to. His Mission Viejo growing team has over a ton of pumpkins in their patch.
The 2008 Pumpkinmania! Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off & Contest
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., entry and grower registration from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., final weigh-off begins at 12 noon.
Location: Centennial Heritage Museum, 3101 West Harvard Street, Santa Ana, CA 92704, http://www.centennialmuseum.org/, for map and directions.Free to enter, free to attend!
Prizes: Heaviest Pumpkin, First Place, $1,000, Second Place, $500, Third Place, $300, courtesy of Gardner & Bloome division of Kellogg Garden Products. Prizes will be also awarded for Best Color, Funniest Shape, Youngest Grower, Most Experienced Grower, Most Classic Pumpkin, and many more.
Activities: Children face-painting, Victorian tea, blacksmithing demonstrations, Guess the Weight of The Three Heaviest Pumpkins, and more.
(For more information see www.Pumpkinmania.blogspot.com)
