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A few miles west of Spiritwood, Saskatchewan lies a charming farm and U-Pick called The Fruit Basket.
It’s owned by Glen and Shannon Caffet, and has been a supplier of crisp vegetables and sweet fruits for the people of the surrounding communities for more than three decades.
Glen and Shannon Caffet have owned the Fruit Basket near Spiritwood for more than 35 years. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
But for Glen, the bigger the vegetable – the bigger the prize.
“They had a local show for giant pumpkins, and I’d place in the top two or three all the time,” he shared.
But once he outgrew that competition, he set his sights on a larger stage.
“Maybe 10 years ago, I started going to Smoky Lake, and I was placed in the top 10 a couple of times,” Caffet recalled.
The Smoky Lake Great White North Pumpkin Weigh-off & Fair in Alberta has been the western Canadian favourite for growers for 33 years.
Its where those who are serious about growing giant vegetables are able to be professionally verified.
“If you get a big one, it’s recognized by Canada and the world federation,” explained Caffet.
“You have to have about 1,500 to 2,000-pound pumpkins. And they do get that big, they get up to 2,500 pounds, 2,600 pounds. You need over 1000 pounds to place.”
The secret to giant growth
Pumpkin genetics are passed down through the pumpkin’s seeds.
Caffet says investing in seeds sourced from giant pumpkins is how he’s able to grow ginormous gourds.
“I realized it’s the genetics. So I got better genetics. A seed from an 1,800-pound pumpkin might cost $20 for one seed, but then you have the genetic capability of growing an 1,800 pound pumpkin, or more,” Caffet said.
‘They’re just fun to go see how big you can get them,’ said Glen Caffet, about growing giant pumpkins. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Pumpkin seeds are planted in the spring, with nutrient-rich soil a must.
“The soil this year was fairly rich, so I didn’t fertilize. Maybe I should have, but, oh well, next year,” Caffet joked.
This year’s pumpkin at The Fruit Basket weighed in at 500 pounds, which is much smaller than Caffet was hoping for.
“The biggest one is around 500 pounds. I was hoping for better, but it just didn’t develop like I wanted it to,” he said. “I’m hoping it’s big enough to be able to put all the grandkids in.”
This year’s pumpkin weighs in at 500 pounds, at The Fruit Basket near Spirtwood. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
If you were to make pumpkin pies out of Caffet’s 500-pound pumpkin, you’d have a lot of dessert on your hands.
“If you take a pound-per-pie, you make 500 pies,” he theorized. “I guess they’re not the best for pies, but you can make pies out of them.”
Giant pumpkins, big legacy
While this year’s pumpkin may not have met Caffet’s dream weight, he’s grown larger pumpkins in past seasons.
“One year I had a pumpkin that was 670 pounds, and that placed, I think, sixth in Smoky Lake that year,” remembers Caffet.
“According to the chart, it was only supposed to be 630 pounds. It was actually over the estimated weight, which was a pleasant surprise.”
The chart Caffet is referring to is how giant pumpkins are measured.
There isn’t a giant scale that big vegetables are air-lifted on to, but rather a mathematical equation to calculate their approximate weight.
“I’ve got a book, and there’s a chart. You can measure the circumference, then you go by an estimated weight for the circumference with another measurement that’s called ‘over-the-top’,” Caffet explained.
“You take the circumference from end to end, and over the side. So you have three measurements.”
Once you have those measurements, you add them and refer to the chart, which gives an estimated size of the pumpkin.
Glen Caffet has been growing giant pumpkins for more than 30 years, saying the key is good seed genetics. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Retirement on the horizon
With more than 30 years of pumpkins under his belt, Caffet says he may be nearing the end of his giant growth career.
“I might try a couple more times. I’m kind of getting tired of growing these pumpkins because I haven’t succeeded getting the one I wanted,” laments Caffet. “But I might give her a couple more shots, and then retire.”
Caffet is still eager to grow his dream 1,000-pound pumpkin before he retires.
“I was talking to a fellow at the coffee shop the other day, and he’s into growing giant pumpkins,” he shared.
“I’m hoping he can take over, and maybe he’ll have better luck than me.”
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