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Grower Smashes Heaviest Pumpkin Record

pacey 790


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.

HEAVIEST PUMPKIN

Hometown

Pounds

1. Pacey Encell

Solvang, CA

790

2. Matthew Ortiz

Nipomo, CA

673

3. Steve Encell

Solvang, CA

589

4. Ty Evans

Morro Bay, CA

576

5. Brian Evans

Morro Bay, CA

549

6. Rick Tibben

Nipomo, CA

477

7. Bellevue Elementary

San Luis Obispo, CA

435

8. Randy Cavanaugh

Arroyo Grande

423

9. Michael Ortiz

Nipomo, CA

394

10. Joe Sabol

San Luis Obispo, CA

266

Most Beautiful Pumpkin
Johnny Schmitz

Templeton, CA

--

Most Unusual Pumpkin
Daniel Palla

San Luis Obispo, CA

--

4-H Heaviest Pumpkin
Michael Ferrante

Pismo Beach, CA

--

FFA Heaviest Pumpkin
Matt Evans

Morro Bay, CA

--

 

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:

coast

Heaviest Pumpkin - $750
Grown By: Brian Evans, SLO: 606 lbs.

heviest

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

FFA

Heaviest FFA Pumpkin - $250
Grown By: Allie Flores: 169

Sponsored by Kellogg Garden Products

Most Beautiful:

Farm_Supply

Most Beautiful Pumpkin - $250
Grown By: Robyn Righetti, SLO

beautiful

Sponsored by Farm Supply Company

Most Unusual

Farm_Supply

Most Unusual Pumpkin - $250
Grown By: Carrie Rick Lehnhoff


unusual

Sponsored by: Farm Supply Company

2006 Contest Results

Heaviest Pumpkin:

coast

Heaviest Pumpkin - $500
Grown By: Jill Duncan, SLO: 714 pounds

heavy

Sponsored by: Coast National Bank

Most Beautiful Pumpkin:

Farm_Supply

Most Beautiful Pumpkin - $125 Gift Certificate
Grown by: Suzie Allen, SLO

 

beautiful

Sponsored by Farm Supply Company

Most Unusual Pumpkin:

Farm_Supply

Most Unusual Pumpkin - $125 Gift Certificate
Grown By: Joe Sabol, SLO

unusual

Sponsored by: Farm Supply Company

Heaviest Pumpkin, Junior Devision:

whiz_kids

Heaviest Pumpkin, Junior Devision: $50 Gift Certificate
Grown By: Mathew Ortiz, Nipomo 404 pounds

junior

Sponsored by: Whiz Kids