Women sweep the prizes at the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-in at Central Market

First place winner Cindy Tobeck with her winner's check and plaque 

Photos and text by Jerry Pickard

On Saturday, October 10 Central Market hosted the annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-in Contest. Farmers from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia competed for the largest Pumpkin prize of $2,000 and for bragging rights of "Largest Pumpkin".

Second place went to Sandy Wheeler whose pumpkin weighed in at 1445.0 pounds.

Joel Holland was last year's winner with a pumpkin weighing in at 1678 pounds. This year, due to the dry weather, his pumpkin weighed a lot less. 

Third place winner Charity Marshall's pumpkin weighed in at 1372.5 pounds.

Giant pumpkins consume a minimum of 50 gallons of water or more a day. Giant pumpkins have to have warmth to germinate and grow so they are started indoors in the early spring and are progressively moved to larger pots as they grow until they are moved outdoors.

Line of competing pumpkins.

They have to have damp, but not wet earth to grow. They can gain fifty pounds a day when they are transplanted outdoors.

Lift crew moving pumpkin to scale.

 The pumpkins are transported and lifted with great care.