Rural
6 December, 2023
Good gourd – give it a grow pips
The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) is celebrating the pumpkin with entries open for its iconic Giant Pumpkin Competition.
The competition offers more than $3,400 in prize money including last year’s new bonus prize of $1,000 for the heaviest pumpkin over 350kg.
Pumpkin patches across southeast Queensland will be pumping up their produce as growers vie for the heaviest title.
The prize money on offer for the Open and Youth classes is $600 for first place, $400 for second and $300 for third.
All pumpkins over 80kg are eligible for the coveted title of Champion Heaviest Pumpkin of Show and $850.
Veggie patch kings and queens and 2023 Champion Heaviest Pumpkin of Show title winner, Downlands College, will be back in 2024 hoping to recreate their history-making win.
Last year the College was the first school to take top honours over an Open Class competitor with their 202kg pumpkin.
The minimum weight for entry into the Youth/ School class is 10kg and the competition is curriculum-aligned for Foundation to Grade 8, planting the seed of knowledge about the importance of agriculture.
Also, back to compete in 2024 will be Open Class heavyweight, Minden grower Geoff Frohloff, who has seen his fair share of prize money over the years and still holds the Ekka giant pumpkin record of 215kg set in 2015.
The weight target for the 2023 bonus prize of $1,000 for the heaviest pumpkin has been lowered from over 500kg to over 350kg to encourage more growers to get their green thumbs on.
Farmers, gardeners, schools and students can request their FREE Giant Atlantic pumpkin seeds and an information pack through the Ekka website at www. ekka.com.au
The giant gourds will roll into the Brisbane Showgrounds on March 9 next year for judging, with the competition held outside of the August Ekka dates to take advantage of the premium pumpkin growing season.
Entries close March 1.
