Starborn Farms held their second annual Great Pumpkin Weigh Off on Saturday, inviting gardeners from near and far to come and weigh their biggest pumpkins against one another.

“It’s a great seasonal thing and no one is really doing it,” said Robin Judd, one of the event’s organizers. “Basically it’s for the kids and the local growers who don’t have a place to go.”

Judd explained that the event was held in part to give 4H kids a show to compete in last year after the 2020 Shawville Fair was cancelled.

Attendees were invited to bring their pumpkins, gourds and watermelons for weighing. The giant crops were carried by hand at first to the scale, but once they got heavy enough they were carried by tractor to the scale.

The winner of the pumpkin junior division was Laurel Sally with a pumpkin that weighed 540 lbs. The senior division was won by Dr. Keith MacLellan for a pumpkin that weighed 855 lbs. The largest watermelon and longest gourd exhibition winner was Todd Kline, one of the event’s organizers, who entered a watermelon of 81 lbs, and a gourd of 119 inches.

“It seems like they really liked it,” said Kline. “There’s some really nice pumpkins here.”

The event was organized by Judd, Kline and Mike Rusenstrom. The group hopes that next year, the event will be made official and be part of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.

Many of the event’s participants returned after taking part last year. Jennifer Enright and Nick Thompson entered this year with a pumpkin that weighed 522 lbs, roughly three times the size of their entry last year.

“It’s exciting to grow something bigger than we did last year,” said Enright. She added that they grew this year’s entry in their pasture with the cows instead of in their front yard. She and Thompson believe the manure played a large role in helping the pumpkin grow to its colossal size.

For the event’s future, the organizers say they will be back again next year. “Bigger and better every year,” said Judd, describing the event.

Starborn Farms is continuing to sell pumpkins throughout October.

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