Julius, the 500-pound gourd grown by a Vancouver couple, is competing in this year's giant pumpkin weigh-off

Every fall, farmers across the province load their largest pumpkins onto the back of trucks and drive them to Langley, B.C., about 47 kilometres southeast of Vancouver, for weighing.

Some of the most enormous gourds top out at more than 1,900 pounds, and earn the growers $1,000 in prize money.

This Oct. 7, Michael and Joanna Polay from Vancouver's Dunbar neighbourhood are making the same trip, for their debut at the annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off with their massive 500-pound pumpkin named Julius. 

"Julius started out as little as the size of a marble and now he's 500 pounds," said Michael. 

The giant gourd has become the talk of Dunbar, turning the heads of anyone who passes by the Polays' front yard. 

Neighbours come by to check in on Julius and even strangers approach their doorstep with inquiring looks, said Joanna. 

"It has become such a lovely social thing," she said.

While the husband-and-wife duo have been growing regular-sized pumpkins for a decade, especially for their two children for Halloween, they had never really tried growing something as big as Julius. 

"It's actually a full-time job," said Michael. "We are in the patch everyday making sure he [the pumpkin] is well-watered and fed."

The event at Krause Berry Farms, organized by Giant Pumpkins British Columbia, is now on its 10th year, according to a member of the organizing team.

"It's a wonderful competition and every year we see a variety of giant pumpkins, squash, watermelon, tomatoes and all sorts of vegetables," said Jeff Pelletier.

The avid grower bagged the prestigious 'prettiest pumpkin' award last year. 

"I grow them all organically," Pelletier said.

He says he also likes to help novice growers like Michael and offer them seeds of his award-winning pumpkins.

"I gave the seeds of my 1,167-pound pumpkin to Michael Polay to grow."

Michael Polay says he considers Pelletier his mentor. 

"Julius's genes are strong," he said. "Jeff has been tremendous, giving me tips on keeping the vines healthy and everything."

Great for growing, not for eating

The practice of giving is consistent among giant pumpkin growers of B.C, according to Pelletier.

The winner of the last two editions of the weigh-off, Dave Chan, is also known for sharing the seeds of his gargantuan gourds. 

Chan holds the record for the biggest pumpkin ever grown in B.C., with his 1,911-pound gourd tipping the scales at the 2021 weigh-off.

"Growing pumpkin is a labour of love," Chan said. 

However, Chan claims he has never eaten the gourd of his labour.

"I have never liked pumpkins and I would never eat giant pumpkins. They don't taste very good," he said. 

Not many people in the giant-pumpkin-growing community like to eat what they have grown.

Pettelier says he usually brings in professional carvers to cut the pumpkins and then distributes them to pig farms.

"None of it goes to waste," Pettelier said.

A Cinderella carriage?

The Polays say they will likely carve Julius for Halloween after the weigh-off.  

"We are also thinking of making him into a Cinderella carriage but have not decided yet," Michael said.

Some of Julius will also go to their Dunbar neighbours. 

"There is an older couple living a couple blocks from us who collect our pumpkins and make muffins and pumpkin bread." 

Next year, the Polays say they are looking to grow a thousand-pounder.

"It will be huge and might spill over to the neighbour's yard," Michael said, "and I think we'll grow just up the boulevard until we get to the street."