Fifteen South African pumpkin growers competed in one of the closest contested competitions yet, for the title of Giant Pumpkin Champion in the 10th Shoprite and Checkers Giant Pumpkin Competition on 14 March.
Pinkie Swart from Heidelberg, the current South African record holder, was once again crowned the Giant Pumpkin Champion with his 483,6 kg pumpkin, a mere 13,5 kg short of his previous South African record of 497,5 kg. Although still far from the 1054kg World Record that was set in October 2014 by Beni Meier (Switzerland), the South African competition has seen immense growth over the last few years.
The 2015 Giant Pumpkin Champion walked away with R12 000, while Karel Robertson from Arista Farms in Heidelberg (second) and Johan du Plessis from Worcester (third) received cash prizes to the value of R7 000 and R3 500 respectively. Additional prizes were also awarded for the smallest, prettiest and ugliest pumpkins.
The Shoprite Group’s fresh fruit and vegetable procurement division, Freshmark, hosts the competition annually for South African pumpkin growers to compete during the Durbanville Farm Festival, the competition is recognized by the International Pumpkin Growers Association as an official contest, and all pumpkin sizes and records are officially recorded as such.
Wannabe pumpkin growers can obtain giant pumpkin seeds from Freshmark if they wish to enter the 2016 Giant Pumpkin Competition. Pumpkin growers can enter the competition with pumpkins grown from any seeds, but the seeds provided by Freshmark are special in that they are not genetically modified in any way, and originate from giant pumpkins from the North American Dill’s Atlantic Giant variety.
Read more here…
Winner of the 2016 Giant Pumpkin
Husband and Wife time win big at Giant Pumpkin Festival in Heidelberg, Western Cape
Local Heidelberg Farmer Lourens van Deventer scooped up first prize for the largest pumpkin with a massive weight of 373kg at the Heidelberg Giant Pumpkin Festival and Mountain Bike Race.
In second place with a pumpkin 354.5kg was Theresa van Deventer, wife of Lourens van Deventer and in third place Ronèl Swart with 342.5 kg – proving that the art of growing a giant pumpkin is not just a man’s sport.
Adding drama to the event was the fact that last year’s champion Pinkie Swart from Heidelberg had to withdraw just days before the competition because of a rotten pumpkin. Pinkie is currently still the South African record holder with a giant pumpkin weighing in at 497.5 kg.
The Giant Pumpkin Festival Poster
Take a look at the Poster we have designed for 2016 Giant Pumpkin Festival.
Construction begins on the Mountain Bike Track
Construction on the single track for the Giant Pumpkin Festival in Heidelberg, WC begins. This is a new original track that has been specially developed for the Pumpkin Festival.
The Heidelberg Giant Pumpkin Festival 2015 Winners
Veels geluk aan die wenners by die Giant Pumpkin Festival in Heidelberg, WC. Die fees was n groot sukses, dankie aan die “pampoen-boere” wat deelgeneem het en al die wat bygewoon het.
Die Giant Pumpkin wenners is as volgens:
Eerste prys – Pinkie Swart 482kg
Tweede prys – Corné van Greunen 438,50kg
Derde prys – Lourens van Deventer 359kg
Vierde prys – Kobus Meyer 348kg
Vyfde prys – Ronél Swart 304,50kg
Sesde prys – Raymond Saayman 276kg
Sewende prys – Pieter Wentzel 268kg
Mooiste pampoen – Miriam Nel
Lelikste pampoen – Jacques Geldenhuys
The Heidelberg Giant Pumpkin Festival 2015
Congratulations to the winners of The Giant Pumpkin Festival in Heidelberg, WC. The festival was a great success and we would like to thank the “pumpkin–farmers” who participated as well as all those who attended.
The Giant Pumpkin winners are as follows:
Eerste prys – Pinkie Swart 482kg
Tweede prys – Corné van Greunen 438,50kg
Derde prys – Lourens van Deventer 359kg
Vierde prys – Kobus Meyer 348kg
Vyfde prys – Ronél Swart 304,50kg
Sesde prys – Raymond Saayman 276kg
Sewende prys – Pieter Wentzel 268kg
Mooiste pampoen – Miriam Nel
Lelikste pampoen – Jacques Geldenhuys
Giant Pumpkin Champion
Fifteen South African pumpkin growers competed in one of the closest contested competitions yet, for the title of Giant Pumpkin Champion in the 10th Shoprite and Checkers Giant Pumpkin Competition on 14 March.
Pinkie Swart from Heidelberg, the current South African record holder, was once again crowned the Giant Pumpkin Champion with his 483,6 kg pumpkin, a mere 13,5 kg short of his previous South African record of 497,5 kg. Although still far from the 1054kg World Record that was set in October 2014 by Beni Meier (Switzerland), the South African competition has seen immense growth over the last few years.
The 2015 Giant Pumpkin Champion walked away with R12 000, while Karel Robertson from Arista Farms in Heidelberg (second) and Johan du Plessis from Worcester (third) received cash prizes to the value of R7 000 and R3 500 respectively. Additional prizes were also awarded for the smallest, prettiest and ugliest pumpkins.
The Shoprite Group’s fresh fruit and vegetable procurement division, Freshmark, hosts the competition annually for South African pumpkin growers to compete during the Durbanville Farm Festival, the competition is recognized by the International Pumpkin Growers Association as an official contest, and all pumpkin sizes and records are officially recorded as such.
Wannabe pumpkin growers can obtain giant pumpkin seeds from Freshmark if they wish to enter the 2016 Giant Pumpkin Competition. Pumpkin growers can enter the competition with pumpkins grown from any seeds, but the seeds provided by Freshmark are special in that they are not genetically modified in any way, and originate from giant pumpkins from the North American Dill’s Atlantic Giant variety.
Read more here…