Grower Smashes Heaviest Pumpkin Record

Excited pumpkin enthusiasts watched as the 2006 heaviest giant pumpkin record was broken by Pacey Encell, from Solvang CA, with a giant pumpkin weighing in at an astounding 790 lbs. This pumpkin became the heaviest pumpkin ever weighed in San Luis Obispo County.

The contest was held at the Mission Plaza in downtown San Luis Obispo preceding the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association’s Thursday Night Farmers’ Market, between 4 - 8 p.m. on October 16, sponsored by the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau and Farm Supply Co..

Nearly three tons of giant pumpkins were weighed from smallest to largest. Here are the results from the contest for the Third Annual Great Pumpkin Contest.

Click here to download the complete media release.

For more information call Cara Crye, Farm Supply at (805) 543-3751.

2008 Sponsors

A special thank you to the Sponsors of the 2008 SLO Co. Great Pumpkin Contest.

Officials from the San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures and the Cal Poly BioResources and Ag Engineering department who certified the weighing results.

Our local celebrity judges who awarded prizes in the most beautiful and most unusual categories sponsored by Farm Supply Co..

Coast National Bank, who sponsored the top prizes for the heviest pumpkins: $750, $500 and $250.

Kellogg Garden Products, who awarded to the heaviest pumpkin grown by a 4-H and FFA student with a check for $250 each.

Big Images for printing the Great Pumpkin signs and banners, Barnett Cox and Associates for producing the promotional material and Mediums for printing the Lifting Team shirts.

SLO Co. Young Farmers and Ranchers and Cal Poly BRAE Department for donating their time as the official Pumpkin Lifting Team sponsored by Quinn Rental Services.

During the summer, the Farm Bureau and Farm Supply seeded the contest by donating enough seeds and sprouts to grow approximately 5,000 pumpkin plants. Local giant pumpkin grower, Paul Rys, donated over 2,000 seeds from his personal collection. A portion of those were then sprouted in the Talley Vegetables’ seed chamber in Arroyo Grande and distributed to the 4-H and FFA at local community events including the 4-H Field Day. 

The San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau would like to thank all the participants and congratulate winners of the Second Annual SLO County Great Pumpkin Contest.

History

The SLO Co. Great Pumpkin Contests founded by San Luis Obispo Farm Bureau and Farm Supply Company in 2006. The contest has seen some giant pumpkins over the years. Here is how they sized up...

2007 Contest Results
Heaviest Pumpkin Category:
Heaviest Pumpkin - $750 Grown By: Brian Evans, SLO: 606 lbs.
1st runner up - $500 Grown By: Rick Tibben, Nipomo: 582
2nd runner up - $250 Grown By: Randy Cavanagh, AG: 562
Sponsored by Coast National Bank
Heviest 4-H and FFA Pumpkin:
Heaviest 4-H Pumpkin - $250 Grown By: Whitney Lehnhoff: 375
Heaviest FFA Pumpkin - $250 Grown By: Allie Flores: 169
Sponsored by Kellogg Garden Products
Most Beautiful:
Most Beautiful Pumpkin - $250 Grown By: Robyn Righetti, SLO
Sponsored by Farm Supply Company
Most Unusual
Most Unusual Pumpkin - $250 Grown By: Carrie Rick Lehnhoff
Sponsored by: Farm Supply Company
2006 Contest Results
Heaviest Pumpkin:
Heaviest Pumpkin - $500 Grown By: Jill Duncan, SLO: 714 pounds
Sponsored by: Coast National Bank
Most Beautiful Pumpkin:
Most Beautiful Pumpkin - $125 Gift Certificate Grown by: Suzie Allen, SLO
Sponsored by Farm Supply Company
Most Unusual Pumpkin:
Most Unusual Pumpkin - $125 Gift Certificate Grown By: Joe Sabol, SLO
Sponsored by: Farm Supply Company
Heaviest Pumpkin, Junior Devision:
Heaviest Pumpkin, Junior Devision: $50 Gift Certificate Grown By: Mathew Ortiz, Nipomo 404 pounds
Sponsored by: Whiz Kids