A Port Alberni man has come out of "retirement" when it comes to growing giant pumpkins.
Jake Van Kooten attended the 11th annual B.C.-wide Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off competition held at Krause Berry Farms in Langley on Saturday, Oct. 5. Although he didn't win the competition, he took fifth place with a 912-pound pumpkin.
It's the first time in 14 years that Van Kooten has competed in a pumpkin weigh-off, after he officially announced that he was "retiring" from growing giant pumpkins in 2013. He first started growing pumpkins in the '70s, starting out with the jack-o-lantern variety before he moved on to bigger gourds. In 2008, he grew a 1,500-pound pumpkin that was named the biggest in the world.
But it turns out that Van Kooten missed the competition more than he thought he would.
"Every year, I see people growing the big pumpkins," he said. "This year, I told my wife I've got to grow one more, I've got to grow one more. So I grew one more."
The growing space was a challenge. Van Kooten had downsized from his previous property on Kitsuksis Road to a home on Compton Road in North Port Alberni, near the former Jax Store.
"The soil at the new place wasn't as good as the soil on Kitsuksis, so that played into the equation," Van Kooten said. "I just grew the one this year. These things take about 700 to 800 square feet. I only had a little eight-foot patch left in my garden for some tomatoes."
About two dozen growers from across B.C. entered the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, one of which was Van Kooten's own daughter — Kerri Perras of Campbell River, who weighed in a 964-pound pumpkin. Van Kooten says there isn't much competition between them, though.
"When the two of us compete together, I always tell her she has to beat me by at least one pound," said Van Kooten. "This time she beat me by about 40."
The Polay family had the winning pumpkin, weighing 1,161 pounds. While he was at the weigh-off, Van Kooten said he had the chance to connect with a number of growers that he has known for many years.
"This has got my competitive juices going again," Van Kooten laughed. "There's a possibility I might grow one next year."
— with files from Kyler Emerson, Aldergrove Star
