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Giant Lloydminster gourd breaks Canadian record

The scale at the annual Smoky Lake Pumpkin Fair has weighed-in a new Canadian champion as a Lloydminster-grown pumpkin has broken the record for the country’s heaviest gourd.

For over two-decades Midwest resident Don Crews has been making the yearly trek to Smoky Lake, but this year he had a sense that he might need a bigger ride to transport the heavy vegetable.

“This one was a little harder to load. It tipped the skid-steer when I was trying to load it. I knew we were in trouble then. I had to get the old big forklift and put it on. I could tell on the trailer it was pretty heavy. And you know it’s going to be a problem everywhere, because it’s just a little bit overweight compared to everything else they have been dealing with there.”

Dipping the scale at a hefty 2537 pounds, to best the old record by some 500-plus pounds for a gourd produced in a single growing season.

Crews says he used 2365 Wolf-seed which was not a tested seed, but he admits he likes to take chances. He serves the secret to growing a gourd-breaking champion.

“You have to have everything perfect. Everything has to be perfect. You have to have perfect soil. Perfect temperatures. And just a lot of work.”

That perfection comes as well by growing the champion gourd in his greenhouse.

Crews had the giant pumpkin on display at Sunday’s Lloydminster PumpkinFest.

Gerry Lampow
Gerry Lampow
Gerry has lived in Lloydminster since winter 2010. That detail is important as coming from the Caribbean he did not see green grass until May. Now an Alberta/Western Canada resident, you would be hard-pressed to find a stronger proponent of Lloydminster than the news guy that appreciates a healthy dose of rock music and dress code leather. His mantra is focus on one thing and do it well.
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