Polson farmer raises giant pumpkins with tender loving care
Daniel Martynowicz
Emmett May shows off one of his Atlantic Giant Pumpkins. When this photo was taken Aug. 29, the massive pink pumpkin was growing at a rate of 13 pounds a day.
Daniel Martynowicz
Daniel Martynowicz
With overnight temperatures fast approaching 40 degrees Fahrenheit, Emmett often covers his massive pumpkins in blankets to ward off the cold.
file photo
Ronan’s fourth annual Harvest Fest, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Ronan Visitors Center, will feature a hay bale decorating contest, dessert contest, pumpkin bowling and other fall-related family activities.
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Fall is a time of plenty. With the change in seasons comes a change in the weather, the leaves, the food, the sky, the recreation and often, the clothing.
Farmers begin to harvest their crops; the days get shorter and colder; and bonfires with friends become a welcome distraction.
For the past four years, Ronan has sought to create a new constant for the community during this ever-changing time, Harvest Fest, a fairly new family event to be enjoyed by one and all as farmers celebrate the harvest and children celebrate the scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns to follow.
Returning for an encore performance, Harvest Fest will feature an Atlantic Giant Pumpkin growing contest. Last year’s winner, Big Sky Giant Pumpkin Growers president and Polson resident Emmett May, delivered an 893-pound pumpkin to the judging table — a state record.
“I think I’ve got one a little better this year,” May said. “Sometimes they get oddball shapes and they’re difficult to measure, but I think I’ve got (last year’s pumpkin) beat.”
May said Atlantic Giant Pumpkins were originally created by farmer and Canadian resident Howard Dill more than 32 years ago. Dill pioneered the Atlantic Giants through a complicated process of cross-pollination and selective breeding. After several generations, the resulting offspring boasts a world record 1,817.5-pound pumpkin.
May plants his seeds around the first of April in his home. Once big enough, he moves them to a small greenhouse on his property for a short time before eventually moving them to his garden. In the garden, he builds a wood and plastic frame over the pumpkins to protect them from frost and cold temperatures. If temperatures are forecast to drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, he often wraps the giants in a large blanket.
While these measures may seem extreme, May said he’s already lost 11 plants to frost.
“We have to protect them; they don’t like our cold and wet Montana springs,” he said.
May harvests his crop around the Sept. 14. This allows for five months of growing time, or roughly 150 days.
If May is able to grow a pumpkin weighing in at more than 900 lbs in 150 days, the plant grows an average of 6 pounds per day. During their peak growing months of June and July, Atlantic Giant Pumpkins are capable of growing up to 40 pounds per day.
“They’re nutrient hogs,” May laughs. “They like their food, and they like their water.”
Three judges are selected each year for the harvest fest contest. Pumpkins are judged using a ratio of expected measurements and weight vs. actual measurements and weight. The pumpkin with the smallest differential between the two numbers wins the contest.
Any hole in the pumpkin or split stem automatically disqualifies it. This prevents underachievers from filling their gourds with water or buckshot to tip the scales. This rule proves to be a rather large problem, as a 1,000-pound pumpkin tends to put quite a bit of weight on its stem.
These pumpkins are so large they actually collapse under their own weight. The bigger they become, the flatter they get. The flatter they get, the easier it is to crack a stem.
To solve this problem, May uses sandbags and 5-gallon buckets to prop up the plant’s vines and relieve pressure on the stem.
But what happens to the giant vegetable after the contest?
“The sugar content isn’t high enough to make a good pumpkin pie,” May said. “Some people hollow them out, put an outboard motor on the back and use them as boats. Others make giant jack-o-lanterns.”
May doesn’t do either. Instead, he saves the seeds for next year’s contest and the pumpkin rinds are fed to his cattle.
With so much pumpkin and promise, this year’s harvest fest is sure to start the fall season right.
“Hopefully a lot of people come out and enjoy the afternoon,” Grainey said.
