TOWN OF CHAMPION, New York (WWNY) – A town of Champion woman has a passion for pumpkins. She has been growing them for 7 years and won first prize at the Gouverneur Pumpkin Festival last year.
Christine Nolan was given a small seed at a market years ago and the rest is history.
“Our first year we had a 600-pound one and then we just continued on,” she said.
Her ginormous gourds were planted in April. It’s hard to believe they were ever tiny seeds.
“You have to have heating cables and a heat lamp because it’s kind of cold at that time,” said Nolan.
She says she has grown her biggest pumpkin ever and estimates it’ll weigh in at about 1,600 pounds.
“This one right here will make me very happy,” she said.
Something else that makes her happy is sharing her love for pumpkins with her three-year-old granddaughter, Harper.
Harper will be showing her very own in the junior division at the 10th Annual Gouverneur Pumpkin Festival on Sunday.
“You can have little small pumpkins to 2,000 pound pumpkins,” said Nolan.
As for what happens to the plump pumpkins after they’re shown, it won’t be for a giant pumpkin pie.
“Normally people will buy them. In the past, I’ve had someone buy them because they use them for displays,” said Nolan.
Nolan will cover her pumpkins until this weekend, when she plans to compete in Saratoga.
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