On the Road With The Head Farmhand – Post #2

I made it to Windsor after traveling for over 18 hours. While it was a very long day, the ride with the film crew through Maine and New Brunswick was breathtaking. The leaves were changing – and I was enchanted by the colors.

I am staying at the Clockmaker’s Inn and I highly recommend it. Our host at the inn is the Dunham family. Please visit the inn’s web site www.theclockmakersinn.com .

Today, I spent some time learning about giant pumpkins from the man that started it all –Howard Dill . We arrived at the Dill farm, and were met with beautiful fall colors, cool air and huge pumpkins everywhere. The Dill family couldn’t have been more welcoming.

I ventured into the garden to see 1200 lbs. squash and 1100 lbs. pumpkins. Incredible! (I also learned the correct pronunciation of pumpkin — “pun-kin”).

The real drama of the day began when the racers came to pick up their pumpkins. Each crew has a great story about why they chose a certain pumpkin for the Giant Pumpkin Regatta. One crew was putting a number of pumpkins together with a 9-horse power motor on the back for the motor division.

Peter Geiger, the philom of Farmers’ Almanac, arrived with the real challenger pumpkin, which weighed over 600 lbs. A heated competition appears to be developing between the Farmers’ Almanac
and The Weather Network of Canada. Wow, this should be great fun.

Well it is time to get back to the show. I will report on the Regatta tomorrow (footage from this Giant Pumpkin Regatta will be included in our next season, which begins in January.) What fun and what great folks you can meet .

By Bill Chisholm, CEO/Chairman of Farmers’ Almanac TV and head Farmhand.

Technorati tags: Pumpkin Regatta, Big Pumpkins Howard Dill