Campbell Riverite Kerri van Kooten-Perras is the proud grower of B.C.鈥檚 biggest pumpkin.

Her pumpkin, nicknamed Walter, weighed in at 1,152 pounds at the provincial Pumpkin-Weigh Off event in Langley on Oct. 11. While she said it was exciting to win, getting a personal best was the real treat.

鈥淭he goal is to keep getting something bigger every year,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I hit that first thousand pound or a few years ago, it was great. It鈥檚 been a while since I鈥檝e actually had a thousand pounder. It was nice just to have a PB (personal best).鈥�

There must be something in the family, because growing giant pumpkins is a multi-generational thing for the van Kootens. Her father Jake grew the then-heaviest pumpkin in the world back in 2008 at 1,500 lbs. While Jake retired from competition in 2013, Kerri has kept up the tradition.

鈥淢y dad started growing probably when I was about five years old with a goal of maybe making 50 pounds and then he ended up in 2008 growing the biggest in the world. I come by it naturally. I just got the bug from him.鈥�

Kerri has been growing competition-level pumpkins for years, and whenever she has one that could be competition weight she鈥檒l haul it off to the mainland for the weigh-off. Before this year, the best she鈥檚 placed is third.

There鈥檚 a lot that goes into growing a champion pumpkin. Some growers even have professional soil analysis done before they even start. From there it鈥檚 about planting the seed early and letting it germinate indoors before transferring it out into the garden space.

Kerri says she puts a little tent with a heater over the plant when it鈥檚 cold out, and covers it from the most damaging rays of the sun. Vine management is a big part of it as well, which helps the plant focus its energy on the one main fruit.

鈥漎ou pretty much have one pumpkin per plant,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 mean, you can have more than one but they take up quite a bit of space.鈥�

A thousand-pound-plus pumpkin doesn鈥檛 go unnoticed. Kerri said that her truck made quite a scene in the ferry line up.

鈥淭he ferry workers were kind of curious,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey were taking pictures and cheering me on as I was driving off the ferry. It was really quite cute.鈥�

For now, Walter the pumpkin is living at the Coastal Black Winery pumpkin festival for any who would like to see him.

Kerri also said that the hobby is quite easy to get in to.

鈥淚f anybody has an extra spot in their backyard and wants to try growing a pumpkin, it is a great thing to get into and you鈥檙e busy all summer,鈥� she said.

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