Port Elgin Pumpkinfest would like to congratulate Douglas Court of Port Elgin for winning the Master Grower Award at this year’s festival.

The Award is given to a grower who has entered a specimen in five or more categories; Court entered a Pumpkin, Squash, Long Gourd, Watermelon and Field Pumpkin, which earned him the title of Master Grower with a score of 57.

Joel Jarvis of St. Thomas placed second with a score of 56 and John Butler, also from St. Thomas, placed third with 48.

Pumpkinfest Coordinator, Mandy Sebok said that Court is very worthy of the Master Grower Award.
“Doug provides immeasurable support to Pumpkinfest year after year; not only as a grower but also as a committee volunteer. We congratulate his win of this well deserved award,” Sebok said.

This is the first Master Grower win for Court at Pumpkinfest. However, he placed third in 2010, with a World Record under the GCP.

“It’s exciting especially to beat a guy like Joel Jarvis who is a world record holder for squash, and the other champ, I think, is a world record holder as well. It was great to be able to achieve that accomplishment knowing that these guys are world record holders,” said Court.

Court is already gearing up for next year’s festival, which will be in its 30th year, and is currently protecting a couple of cabbage plants through the winter.

“It sort of never ends, you’re always doing something.” Court went on to say that he is currently drying seeds, and researching, and exchanging with other growers as his five lb. tomato is getting a lot of attention, and he is networking with other growers to swap seeds.

“Some of the growers have been contacting me to get that particular seed, and I don’t take money, I try to source out and ask ‘what do you have?’ They might have a giant gourd seed or giant squash seed,” Court said.