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Good Gourd

Jamestown resident Tim Bailey pictured with his fifth-place pumpkin Sunday at the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence. Bailey is a frequent contributor at area pumpkin weight competitions. Submitted photo

Jamestown resident Tim Bailey took fifth place at last Sunday’s World Pumpkin Weigh-off at the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence. He received $500 for his 1,483.5-pound pumpkin, the heaviest he’s ever grown.

Bailey is a longtime participant at local pumpkin weight competitions.

“I’ve been growing giant pumpkins for 21 years,” Bailey told The Post-Journal. “I started the year after the first 1,000-pound pumpkin was grown.”

Bailey said he grows his pumpkins in the back yard of his Park Street home.

“I love God’s creation, and to watch it working up close while gardening is great,” he said. “I never get tired of watching how fast the pumpkins grow. They can put on over 50 pounds in a day.”

“I also enjoy the challenge of the competition,” he continued. “Most giant pumpkin growers are highly competitive but they will help their fellow growers without thinking twice. I love the weigh-offs. They are like a family reunion at the end of the growing season.”

Setting a world record at this year’s event was Karl Haist of Clarence Center, who took first place with a 2,027-pound pumpkin. Haist — who took second place last year at the same event — received $2,500 plus a $1,000 bonus for having a pumpkin that weighed more than 2,000 pounds. The giant gourd beat the previous New York state record set at last year’s event by Andy Wolf of Little Valley with a 1,971.5 pumpkin.

Wolf come in third place this year.

Bailey, meanwhile, said he looks forward to future competitions while at the same time enjoying other hobbies.

“My goal is to do the best with what I have to work with,” he said. “This year I tried to be more efficient with my time. Some growers don’t think so, but there is more to life than growing giant pumpkins.”

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