As Kerri Perras tells it, it is all her father’s fault she’s into growing giant gourds.
She’s dubbed Pumpkin Royalty being the daughter of Jake van Kooten, a Port Alberni resident who grew the world’s largest pumpkin and held several B.C. records during his reign.
For that reason, it wasn’t a great surprise that the Campbell River school teacher clinched the B.C. title for the largest pumpkin of 2023 on Saturday, at the provincial weigh-off in Langley.
Perras has been growing giant pumpkins for 18 years now, and when her latest was weighed at Krause Berry Farms on the weekend, the scale topped out at a whopping 1,152 pounds – breaking her previous personal best of 1,074 and securing first place in the Giant Pumpkins BC contest.
“My dad started this when I was a little kid, and then I started growing them myself, and I have a lot of fun with it,” she shared.
She harvested this pumpkin a few weeks ago and loaded it into her pickup truck. It was a tight squeeze, with no real wiggle room.
And, it was quite the sight when she loaded onto the ferry to the mainland that morning. It generated a lot of picture taking and cheers from ferry staff wishing her luck in the competition as she pulled away.
Asked if she’ll do it again, Perras said “I’ll do it every year,” now sharing the hobby with her own kids.
LAST YEAR WITH VIDEO: Pumpkin growing champion wins Langley Giant Pumpkin weigh-off
While she earned first place, bragging rights, and a $1,000 cheque for her efforts, second place went to Trevor Halliday of Maple Ridge for his 1,028 pounder.
He garnered a paycheque for $600, but more important for him was how this latest weigh-in earned him a place in the Heavy-Hitters Club and a jacket emblazoned with the elite club’s insignia.
The appointment means he grew three pumpkins in the same year that have a combined weight of more than 4,300 pounds. He came in just shy of 4,500, weighing in one pumpkin last week at 1,692, and another the week before at 1,742.5 (his personal best).
In year four of growing his pumpkins outside (versus inside a greenhouse), Halliday expects to garner another title – albeit less official. He believes the 1,742 pounder is the biggest pumpkin grown outside in B.C., to date.
“I grow giant pumpkins,” he said, smiling.
What he finds ironic is the pumpkin he won with Saturday was actually his backup pumpkin. His main pumpkin, that was expected to weigh in closer to 2,000 pounds, recently blew up.
“Good thing we had this one,” he said.
Good thing he has an understanding wife. “Joanne puts up with a lot of stuff,” he said, noting the hobby is not for everyone.
“When the vines are growing, if you don’t stay on top of it, you’re in trouble.”
Asked what you need to break into this pastime, his list including the understanding spouse, time, money, a big space, and a commitment to see it through.
But the reward is worth it.
“It’s fun. It’s addicting to watch your pumpkin grow. When it starts growing from day 20 and it starts to get into those growth spurts, you can literally watch them grow and it’s fun to watch.”
This was the ninth year Alf Krause has hosted the B.C. contest, and he’s amazed how it has kept growing through the years.
“It was a splendid day in the pumpkin patch, that’s for sure,” Krause said, excited to see thousands of guest and dozens of competitors come out.
