Hot days makes big pumpkins

Our hot humid August days is really making the pumpkins grow. Verne and I took a four day break from the farm and headed to cool Colorado last week. Now coming home, and going out to the pumpkin fields, they have exploded with vines and pumpkins. Where there were alleyways, now it's solid leaves. We also got 3 inches of rain while we were gone, so of course that helped too.

We don't have very many competetion pumpkins over hundred pounders yet, but I had someone email yesterday that will be coming to our Giant Pumpkin Contest on Oct. 6th. He already had two 400 lb. pumpkins that were gaining 25 lbs a day. Wow, just think how many pumpkin pies that would make! Hopefully these giants will keep growing and not have any problems. I'd love to see a 1000 pounder at our contest this year. The top weight last year was 691 lbs.

Do you have a pumpkin that you'd like to bring? Last year we had cash prizes of $250, $150 and $100 for the top three weights, and contestants from three states. It was quite a show and lots of fun and photos.

Our herd bull Tonka LOVES pumpkins, and I'd love to see him tackle (literally) a giant pumpkin. But right now he's into the breeding season, so he has other things on his mind.... He'll be ready for pumpkins in October.