SWAMPSCOTT — Resident Thomas Keenan placed 3rd in the Topsfield Fair’s 41st annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off contest with a contender that weighed 2,000 pounds.
First place went to Alex Noel of Abington, Connecticut, with a pumpkin that weighed 2,507 pounds, shattering the previous record of 2,480 pounds by Jamie Graham of Tyngsborough. Daniel Kruszyna from Cheshire came in second place with a pumpkin that weighed 2,234 pounds.
Noel’s pumpkin will be on display in a case at the Fruit and Vegetable building, while Keenan’s pumpkin and the other runner-ups will be kept in the Farmyard Tent until Oct. 13.
Keenen talked about the labor of love that is growing a 2,000-pound pumpkin.
“I grew my first pumpkin back in 2012, though I haven’t done it every year,” Keenan explained. “Back then, my kids were younger, and we were going to just have some fun and grow a pumpkin in the back yard… We ended up planting a giant one that grew to almost 1,000 pounds, which was sort of unheard of at the time.”
Keenan continued, explaining that he would decide not to participate during some years due to the workload that the endeavor entailed.
Last spring, Keenen recalled that it all started by planting two seeds in his backyard.
“From there, they just kept growing. I fed them, watered them, nurtured them, and one of them ended up growing to be 2,000 pounds,” he said. “It was a little bit of a surprise, actually. I didn’t think it was that big.”
Keenen said growing giant pumpkins requires up to 100 gallons of water every day, including fertilizers. He noted that the soil has to be “supercharged,” otherwise the pumpkins might not grow as quickly.
He said these types of pumpkins sometimes can grow up to 40 pounds a day.
“You can actually see it from morning to night… There’s also natural enemies, like fungus and bugs, that you have to watch out for. It’s a job that requires a little bit of time every day,” Keenan said.
He added that the whole process — from getting into the weeds of growing the prized pumpkin in his backyard to the excitement of the fair — was “a blast.”
“Going to the fair is fun, and having that entry in the Weigh-Off was really a lot of fun for me and my family… A lot of my friends come and cheer. (They) yell and scream. It’s just really a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s hard to justify it any other way. It’s a lot of work, takes time, and costs money — so, it’s got to be fun, or why do it?”
Keenan also noted that one of the best parts of the process is seeing the look on peoples’ faces once they lock eyes with the giant pumpkin. He said everyone from neighbors to strangers at the fair are amazed when they see it.
“They think I’m halfway between a genius and a madman for growing these things in my backyard. They take up the whole backyard,” he said. “It’s one of those things with no negatives… It’s something that only makes people smile.”
He added that the fair is a “positive event for everybody.”
Keenan said there were roughly 25 participants in the contest, and the environment yields more than competition.
“It’s a competitive group, but it’s a friendly group,” he said. “The seed that grew my 2,000(-pound) pumpkin came from a man who beat me in the contest last year… So, we’re all in the same boat. We all share seeds, and secrets, and it’s a very friendly group.”
Keenen mentioned he’s still on the fence about appearing in next year’s contest, though he intends to return at some point going forward.
