It was big.

Monday, October 02, 2000

It was big. It was huge. It was colossal.

It was all that and more.

The second annual Southern Minnesota Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off set records Saturday in its short history: most pumpkins entered and most fun had by all. Just ask Jim Stiles, Nathan Thompson or the Dave Andree family.

"It was just amazing," said Stiles, co-owner with his wife Merlene of Super Fresh Produce, where the weigh-off was held Saturday. "We appreciate everybody’s support and involvement. I couldn’t believe the number of people who were here."

Thompson is the Hayfield High School vocational agriculture instructor and FFA adviser. Two officers and seven other members of the Hayfield chapter served breakfast featuring pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin cider that attracted between 150 and 200 diners.

Proceeds from the chapter’s work will help send a team to the National FFA Convention on Oct. 24-28 at Louisville, Ky., where they will compete in the National Invitational Best Informed Greenhand contest.

"It was great. We’re happy to have been a part of it. It will help the Hayfield chapter a lot," Thompson said.

The competition was the idea of Dave and Jan Andree, who live southwest of Brownsdale, and know a thing or two about growing huge pumpkins. In addition, their son, Richard and his wife Margaret also helped coordinate the fall fun.

The contest moved to Austin a year ago from Byron, where it was a national pumpkin weigh-off site. However, the Austin site is not certified for national honors and the competition takes place this coming Saturday.

"It was big, wasn’t it?" Dave Andree said. "I’ve never seen so many people in one place to watch pumpkins being weighed."

Thirty-three pumpkins were entered; so many that the results had to wait for the late entries to be weighed. The Andrees’ sons, Jason and Tim, helped their older brother, Richard, and Jim Stiles do the weighing, while Jan Andree announced the results. Daughter-in-law Margaret registered contestants and Dave Andree supervised their work.

Stiles was interviewed by WCCO radio and KMSP-TV reporters last week prior to the contest, which was promoted by the Austin Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Entrants came from Wisconsin, Duluth and Brainerd and Iowa among other locales.

What does it take to grow a huge prize-winning pumpkin? Seeds from another giant pumpkin, a dusting of Weed-Be-Gone, lots of tender loving care and "lots of luck," according to champion grower Wayne Peters of Rochester.

Byron Tapp of Dexter exhibited his considerable skills at carving pumpkin faces, crafters sold fall house decorations and gift items, the Super Fresh Produce crew decorated their place of business and turned it into what Ann Waldman called "pumpkin heaven" and the growers swapped advice on growing the largest garden produce, shared seeds with fans and said they would return next year.

Growing results

Pumpkins

– Wayne Peters of Rochester won first-place honors in the pumpkin contest with a 768-pound entry.

– Paul Stelpflug of Rochester finished second with a 700-pound entry and Richard Andree of Brownsdale finished third with a 678-pound entry.

– Peters and Jens Buntrock tied for fourth-place honors with pumpkins weighing 674 pounds each.

Other entries

– John Holtz of Brownsdale won the biggest sunflower competition with an entry measuring 16.5 inches across the head. There were five entries.

– Fred Mermann of Chetek, Wis., grew the tallest corn stalk, a giant measuring 18 feet 2 3/8 inches. There were four entries.

– David Bhaskaran of Rochester grew the largest squash, 44 pounds. There were three entries.

– Margaret Andree of Brownsdale grew the largest watermelon, 115 pounds. There were four melons in the competition.