By NANCY TULLIS

By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
GREENFORD -- If you can grow a giant pumpkin, you can grow anything, says Tim Parks, owner of Parks Garden Center.
Parks, who grew up around pumpkins and other green and growing things, was recently named to the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Hall of Fame.
Parks said growing giant pumpkins is a hobby that can involve the entire family. Grandchildren flock to weigh-offs to see grandpa's pumpkin. Husbands get ribbed when their wives' pumpkins weigh more than theirs.
Growers learn from one another, friendships are strengthened and new ones made.
"It's gardening to the max," he said. "It's also much more than that. It's getting together to learn the process and to share stories -- not only pumpkin stories, but stories about life."
New craze is a cruise
He said the biggest new craze in among giant-pumpkin growers is a pumpkin growers' cruise being organized by a West Coast grower.
The trip planned for early next year after the end of the growing season and the holidays has already attracted about 120 growers from the United States and Canada.
Dave Stelts of Edinburg, Pa., president of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth presented Parks with a Hall of Fame plaque recently at the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers annual seminar at Millcreek MetroParks.
The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth oversees the rules and regulations at 30 major giant pumpkin weigh-offs around the world to determine the largest pumpkin each fall.
The local pumpkin weigh-off at Parks Garden Center started in 1995 when Parks and local growers garnered support for $1,000 in prizes. Parks has served as president of the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers since that time.
Alan Gibson of Winona is the secretary-treasurer of the group and does the newsletter for the nonprofit club.
"We went to a weigh-in in 1994 in Circleville, and eight of the 12 growers there were from our area," Parks said. "After that, I had to say 'Why aren't we doing this?'"
Educational hobby
Parks said the best thing about the local club is that members see the hobby as educational. They are willing to get together and share ideas.
Parks said growing giant pumpkins is serious, secretive business for some growers who do not want to keep their growing techniques to themselves. They won't share details even with their own club members.
Parks said he is humbled and honored to be among an elite group of six giant-pumpkin growers and promoters named to the Hall of Fame in the past two years.
"It's nice," he said. "It's good recognition for our club."
Parks said he was named to the Hall of Fame because of the success of the local club and his eight years on the national committee.
The season for giant pumpkin growing begins May 1 and continues into October. The local weigh-in on the first Saturday in October this year will offer about $9,000 in prizes to participating growers.
At the recent Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers annual meeting, there were around 100 members in attendance. Dr. Olaf K. Ribeiro of Seattle spoke on soil diseases and other plant issues.
Discussing successes
Members who've grown pumpkins of 1,000 pounds or more talked about their successes.
Larry Checkon of North Cambria, Pa., had a world-record, 1,469-pound pumpkin last year. Jerry Rose of Huntsburg, Ohio, spoke about his 1,344-pound Ohio champion.
Joining the 1,300-pound club last year was Quinn Werner of Saegertown, Pa. Heidi Brunst of West Sunbury, Pa., joined the 1,200-pound club, and her husband, Chip, is in the 1,100 club.
New to the 1,000-pound club are Monty Wallace of Follansbee, W.Va., Christy Dieffenbaugher of Massillon, Jerry Dawson of Salineville and Carol Steltz of Edinburg, Pa.
So far, Parks' largest pumpkin weighed 840 pounds.
"All I have left to do now is go for a world record," Parks said. "I'm working on that."
tullis@vindy.com