Update: Winners of the 2009 Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off have been posted!

A big thanks to the Indiana Pumpkin Growers Association for participating in the weigh-off we hosted at Hensler’s on September 27th. These pumpkins are so impressive that you’ve got to see them to believe them! Christy Harp, winner of our 2009 competition, topped the scales with a 1236 pound pumpkin. Congratulations Christy!

Continue reading this post to see photos from the event.

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Updated: Photos from the 2009 Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off have been posted!

We would like to thank the Indiana Pumpkin Growers Association for participating in the weigh-off we hosted at Hensler’s on September 27th. The giant gourds they brought to the competition were delightfully monstrous, and we are so impressed with the collective talent of the group.

Christy Harp, the winner of our competition, also took the top spot at Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers weigh-off. Not only was her 1725 pound entry the indisputable champion, Christy now also holds the world record for the growing the largest pumpkin!

Continue reading this article to see the list of winners and the weights of their giant pumpkins.
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If you attended Hensler’s Giant Pumpkin weigh-off on September 27th, you’ll remember that Christy Harp, from Massilon, Ohio, was our grand champion with a 1,236 pound pumpkin. Like 18 other members of the Indiana Pumpkin Grower’s Association, Christy hauled in her giant pumpkin hoping for victory. That foggy morning turned into a splendid day, and the sun blazed brightly over the crowd watching the final weighing as she claimed the top prize.

There was rumor that Christy might have an even larger pumpkin back home in Ohio, but we had no idea how big it really was. On October 7th, she brought a massive pumpkin to the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers weigh-off, and not only did she take the trophy for biggest pumpkin, she also broke the world record with a monster weight of 1,725 pounds.
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We’ll be serving up a spooky treat this weekend: our own homemade pumpkin ice cream. Made with pumpkin and real vanilla, it’s a silky smooth autumn treat you won’t want to miss.

We will also exhibit a collection of restored Wheel Horse lawn and garden tractors. These vintage tractors were very popular in the 1950’s and 60’s, and the Wheel Horse company’s headquarters was based in South Bend, IN.

All of our other fall activities are up and running. We still have a great selection of pumpkins and fall decor. Join us this weekend for a little I-Scream and enjoy “Fall- All Over the Place” here at Hensler’s!

Our Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off on September 27th was a big success, and a few of the competitors left behind some pumpkins for our Gargantuan Gourd Gallery. If you didn’t get a chance to attend the competition, here’s your opportunity to see these pumpkins in person. The Gargantuan Gourd Gallery will be on display through the end of Fall Fest at the end of October.

On display at Hensler Fall Fest yard:

1. 988 lb. pumpkin grown by Christy Harp
2. 691 lb. pumpkin grown by Roger Howard
3. 609 lb. pumpkin grown by Kelly Klinker
4. 545 lb. pumpkin grown by Phyllis Howard

This summer working on our Fall and Christmas parade floats, our purpose was to make a favorable and memorable impression. We think we succeeded. We had fun selecting the materials–and then selecting some more! Our Fall-All Over the Place float won 1st place in each of the three parades entered. Our Christmas float entered two parades, winning second in Commercial Division in the Harvest Parade. My thought: It’s hard to win a 1st place award in the summer with a Christmas float, especially when the Hensler’s Fall float was so spectacular.

Special thanks belong to many. A talented crew at Henslers grew plants, designed and placed structures, and carefully moved the floats to the parade route. Bart Woodke carefully watered and fertilized the pots of flowers. Donna Stanley contibuted ideas for the crafted characters and helped us achieve the animation. Scott Veiting provided engineering and helped with transport and set-up. Karen Johnson, Scott Heeren, and Joe Hensler walked the parade routes handing out fall/Christmas literature. My personal thanks to Randy Johnson, the farmer on the tractor. Thank you to Bea Meseck, our memorable Mrs. Claus. Of course, a special thank you to Matt Markovitz, our Boy of Fall.

Mitch Markovitz, artist and mentor, is especially appreciated for his talented creation of our fall theme and image for our Fall–All Over the Place, and for his creation of the Mrs. Claus image promoting Christmas Fest.

A special thanks goes to Mike Faylor, whose beautiful Belgian horses pulled the Christmas float. And thank you to Josh Wakeland at I.E. Signs for creating those beautifully clear images for our banners.

We also sincerely thank the Brust family, Margo and Larry, for loaning their yard at Bass Lake for us to set up our fall float for the Bass Lake parade on July 26.

Thank you to Linda and Al Berndt who stored our fall and Christmas floats in their Knox yard for the Harvest Days parade on August 29.

And, thank you to our friends Jay and Pam Wakeland for offering their yard to prep and store both of our parade floats for the Blueberry Festival Parade on Sept. 6.

Tom Mate, Kewanna, merits a special thank you. Tom sought us out, inviting us to the Kewanna Parade on Sept. 26, and also provided that much needed yard to assemble the fall float.

This list is not conclusive. Many others contributed ideas or provided encouragement.

All of you: You are appreciated!
John Hensler, President of Hensler Nursery, Inc.

We have loads of mums, pumpkins, gourds and handmade items for sale now through the end of October. The mums are especially spectacular this year.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Then you need to try Hensler’s maple syrup. The source of our syrup comes from the maple trees that line our property. The homegrown taste of this maple syrup has a golden sweetness perfect for a warm stack of flapjacks!

Continue reading this post so you can see a gallery of our homegrown and handmade inventory!

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