Held annually during the last weekend of September, the Durham Fair, also known as Connecticut’s largest agricultural fair, has remained a hub of entertainment for residents of the Durham area and beyond. Attractions range from roller coasters to fried dough to Craig Morgan concerts, giving Choaties an opportunity to sample a wide variety of experiences not usually found in the Student Activities Center. But the fair’s most striking display isn’t any of these popular student attractions: it is the giant pumpkin competition.
Enclosed in a small building on the outskirts of the fair lies some of nature’s most fascinating squash. Through the Durham-sponsored competition, farmers from Connecticut and beyond are challengened to grow the heaviest pumpkin, the majority of which weigh over 1,000 pounds. These pumpkins are weighed, judged, and displayed in Durham during the four days of the fair.
“All of the pumpkins were bigger than I am!” exclaimed Maya Scandinaro ’18, who went to the fair specifically for the exhibit, adding “They’re almost as big as the cows.” Indeed, the pumpkins were indisputably large; David Parente’s prizewinning pumpkin was measured at 1,706 pounds, making it one of the largest pumpkins in Connecticut. Compared to normal pumpkins, which weigh a measly 15 to 20 pounds, that number seems particularly astounding. Parente’s pumpkin is about 700 pounds heavier than a large horse, and about the same weight as a smart car.
With those impressive numbers in mind, let’s examine a question pertinent to Choaties everywhere: how can we grow similar pumpkins at Choate? According to Team Pumpkin, a team of farming enthusiasts dedicated to encouraging the growth of giant pumpkins, there is no secret fertilizer or growing technique that cultivates large pumpkins; instead, the main factor affecting pumpkin growth is the seed type. “There are lots of free seeds to grow [giant pumpkins],” Team Pumpkin published on their website, www.team-pumpkin.org. The article continued, “and… we also have seedlings ready to plant for all. Not just any old seed, but prize winning seeds.” Team Pumkin elaborated, “Several of our new growers have been very successful and harvested the bounty of their hard work.” The seeds that Team Pumpkin writes of are called Dill’s Atlantic Giant seeds. They are distributed at no cost at every major pumpkin weighing event, such as the Durham Fair, where pumpkin enthusiasts are able to then plant and garden to their heart’s desire.
While planting pumpkins may prove to be a challenge on Choate campus, where garden space is limited to specific areas such as the Kohler Environmental Center, it might be worth the effort. Competitions such as the Durham Fair’s weigh-off offer a total of $7,400 in prize money alone. Of course, money isn’t everything. As Team Pumpkin sagely states, “There is only one ‘first place,’ but a giant pumpkin of any size is something to be proud of.”
