It's the Atlantic Canadian giant pumpkin growers, Charlie Brown
CBC
People who grow giant vegetables might be a little odd — and Prince Edward Island pumpkin growing club president Gordon Aten is no exception.
He's been growing colossal squashes and pumpkins for almost 30 years, and he says there's something competitive and addictive about the practice.
"It's a sport. Some people are into horse racing or hockey. Growing giant pumpkins and squashes is a sport you do in your garden," he said, laughing. "I guess you could say we're a bit strange."
Aten was introduced to giant pumpkin growing by his former neighbour, the late Jim Murphy. Murphy began hosting his annual giant pumpkin weigh-off in 1993 and hired Aten as a pumpkin porter — the person whose job it is to safely get the supersized pumpkin on the scales.
"It took six of us to lift the thing. The porters developed sore backs in the following years, so we built an A-frame and a chain to lift the pumpkin onto the scale."
That weigh-off ignited a curiosity, and Aten grew his first behemoth in 1994.
"I started growing, but I accidentally got a hold of a giant squash seed instead. A big squash is nice, but the pumpkins are king."
It took Aten a few years before he grew his first prize-winner, which earned him a blue ribbon and some cash, he said.
"But the bragging rights are the real prize. It's something special to grow the champ."
Aten has grown another giant squash this year, and he's been calling it Squiddy.
"I know some people like to be clever when naming, but I just look at them and think, 'Hmm, that looks like a Sally or a Moe.' Squiddy survived Hurricane Fiona, so he should make it to this year's weigh-off," he said.
You can't write an article about Atlantic Canadian pumpkin growers without mentioning Howard Dill, the late great pumpkin king of Nova Scotia. Dill was a farmer and part-time, self-taught plant geneticist. He patented the Atlantic Giant seeds in 1979, became a four-time world champion giant pumpkin grower, appeared on The Martha Stewart Show, and was ultimately honoured with a massive statue of himself in Windsor, Nova Scotia.
Almost all serious growers use his Atlantic Giant seeds today.
His eldest son, Danny Dill, manages the farm and has been in the giant pumpkin game for a long time.
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