This year's venue was the pavilion in Elk Grove Park, Elk Grove, CA

Growers line up early!

The anticipation for the seed swap was palpable

Four thousand seed packets were collected and distributed to hopeful growers!

Brant Bordsen, California Giant Pumpkin Record Holder, 1,645.5 pounds, 2010

2011 California Giant Pumpkin Growers Forum

Good evening, Pumpkinistas!

One of the most interesting events for any West Coast giant pumpkin grower is the California Giant Pumpkin Growers Forum held every year in Elk Grove, CA, just south of Sacramento. This year's forum was held Saturday, March 5th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. The featured speaker was Brant Bordsen, an attorney from Marysville, CA, who holds the current California record, of 1,645.5 pounds, set last fall. This is the first time that I can recall that an officer of the court presented at the forum. As you can imagine, the counsel's presentation was quite detailed, very well organized, and surprisingly, funny. The most interesting point that he revealed is that he started germinating his seed on May 2, 2010. So, it seems reasonable that Southern California growers can germinate their seeds during the first part of May as well. Mr. Bordsen's presentation was followed by a seed auction, then lunch, and finally, the grower favorite, seed swap. After the seeds had been distributed to the forum attendees, the event ended.

In many ways, this event signals the start of the season for many California growers!