Message Board - BigPumpkins.com

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

I'm wondering if anyone out there could forward to me, or point me in the right direction, biography information on Bob Ford. I did a web search and there is only an anecdote here, a factoid there.

The Pumpkin Growers Memorial site is pretty much ready to go and there will be four memorials on it after I get some more info on Bob Ford. You can now submit your own pumpkin growers memorials for those who have passed on via the website form. Right now there are memorials for Howard and Hilda Dill, William Warnock and soon Bob Ford and we would like to make sure every pumpkin grower who has passed on is honored on the site. The site is:

www.pumpkinlink.com/memorial

It was set up by "ArvadaBoy" Jamie Johnson and onceptualized by Eddy the "Iceman." Thanks

5/24/2010 9:08:35 PM

Andy,

I've met him. Here's a short paper I did on our meeting.

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Bob Ford & His 1976 World Record

By Stephen Jepsen, April 2005

After reading an Alan Nesbitt post about the history of our sport on Big Pumpkins.com, I started research records that pre-date Howard Dill’s 459 in 1980. This brought me to Bob Ford’s 451 from 1976. A Google search of his name led me first to an online version of the Coatesville Ledger Newspaper then to a telephone information operator who promptly connected me with Mr. Ford’s wife. A pleasant woman, she tolerated my exuberance for a few minutes then interrupted our conversation with “Robert’s right here if you’d like to speak with him yourself. I’m sure he’d love to talk.”

Nearly speechless, I said “Thank you, yes”.

At 70 years of age he still works the Ford Greenhouse & was potting Petunias when I called. I thanked him for taking my call & conveyed my adoration & humility. He seemed honored & said he would appreciate the chance to relive some of his memories with me.

Bob went on to explain that a commercial Rose grower & friend Herb Walton gave him some seeds in 1976 that he had obtained from another fellow in Churchville, PA. These guys were active in the Cornell Pumpkin Festival in Churchville.

1976 was the summer that Bob’s doctor would make him stay home to recuperate from a nasty ulcer so he looked forward to having something to do. He chose a quarter acre field to grow three plants in.

From the start one plant exhibited a strange vigor not present in the other three. Since he had the time on his hands, he treated his plants to the same fungicide & insecticide program he used in his greenhouse operations doting on them endlessly in his boredom.

continued

5/24/2010 9:49:40 PM

Fertility for a pumpkin eluded him, so he called his friend Bob Peters who is the founder Peter’s Professional Fertilizer. Bob Peters tested the soil & recommended a 20-10-10 soluble fertilizer program.

When asked about pruning he indicated that only crossing vines were eliminated. Controlling insect & weeds seemed like his highest priority.

At the close of summer Bob & his friend Herb Walton measured the circumference of his pumpkin at 10 feet 5 inches or 125”. This would estimate on Len Stellpflug’s 2001 chart at 455 lbs!

They took the fruit to the Solanco & Bloomsburg Fairs winning first place ribbons at every event. The first weigh-off indicated the fruit weighed 477 lbs at harvest.

Bob still need to get his fruit on an official scale. The place would be the Cornell State Pumpkin contest in Churchville, PA. This was a contest of note with “Heavy Hitters” such as Ed Gancarz, Howard Dill & Howard Fulp all competing. Everyone expected Ed Gancarz to win as he had the prior 8 consecutive years. However while Ed did bring his (to that time) personal best 377 Gancarz ‘76 to the weigh-off, it wouldn’t be enough. For the first time in 73 years a grower broke William Warnock’s 403 lb record that stood since 1903. Bob Ford’s 451 lb. pumpkin had won him first place, $500.00 & eventually a place in The Guinness Book of World Records.

The fruit had lost 24 lbs since its first unofficial weighing (477) so the official recorded weight of 451 lbs is still close to our current charts. Bob says the fruit lost 1 lb per day after the fruit was first harvested for his local fair.

Bob had also wanted to take his 451 Ford ‘76 to the Penn State Farm Show. However after being on display at New York City’s Tavern on the Green (for which he was paid $250 plus all meals & expenses) the fruit was turning soft. Rather than chance losing the whole thing, the seeds were harvested.

5/24/2010 9:50:48 PM

He fondly recalls stories of costumed people singing & dancing around his pumpkin at Tavern on the Green. (Remember, it was the ‘70s).

He believes he sold 100 seeds to a seed catalog saleswoman for $1.00 each. She sold them for about three for $10.00 each. Other seeds were disbursed among friends or kept for future growing by Bob. He grew a few more times but never came close to duplicating his initial success.

Bob’s knowledge of the record books is a little fuzzy. He thought the 451 was the first fruit to break 400 lbs. but that honor goes to William Warnock (twice - 400 lbs in 1900 & 403 lbs in 1903). Bob’s was the first American 400+ lb pumpkin. I informed him his record did beat the 403 lb Warnock Wonder of 1903 World Record & for that I considered him quite a hero. Though humble about his accomplishment, he said at the time he “felt like the guy who ran the first 4 minute mile! I really felt like somebody. And the best thing is the smiles! People always smile when they see a Giant Pumpkin!”

Some things never change.

This concluded our first conversation. We have spoken a couple times since & Bob’s wife even found five original 451 Ford seeds of which she sent me four. I find the prospect of growing these seeds intriguing especially since it would take another nine years before Howard Dill & Ray Waterman would succeed in patenting the Dill’s Atlantic Giant strain. If I can ever get one growing, it would certainly be a unique genetic set in the world of Cucurbita Maxima.

5/24/2010 9:50:57 PM

Bob is still very much alive so including him in a memorial website might not be cool. LOL

5/24/2010 11:01:08 PM

Peace, Wayne

Owensboro, Ky.

Great, Tremor...abso Great!!! Peace, Wayne

5/25/2010 12:02:43 AM

Orangeneck (Team HAMMER)

Eastern Pennsylvania

i think fred calai deserves a spot

5/25/2010 10:30:53 AM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

I removed Bob Ford from the site, my apologies, for some reason the dates 1923-2008 were next to his name. I think Fred Calai deserves to be recognized as well. To make a submission, simply go to www.pumpkinlink.com/memorial and fill in the form with some kind words/accomplishments, preferably with a photo and hit submit. After it is approved it will go on the site. I made the entry for William Warnock and Diana Dill sent me some nice pics and words to honor her mother. Now that the site is up and running, we ask that submissions be made using the submission form on the site, thanks. We also recently lost Paul Tackett and Buddy Conley who also deserve to be honored.

5/25/2010 1:37:16 PM

Big Kahuna 26

Ontario, Canada.

Steve, thanks for passing that along, such a nice piece of our history.....

5/25/2010 5:20:31 PM

There's no saying Bob didn't pass in 2008. I met them in 2005. I'll call there tomorrow.

5/25/2010 6:28:10 PM

Howard Dill
William Warnoch

5/25/2010 9:22:59 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Geeze Steve, please let me know via my home e-mail

[email protected]

5/25/2010 9:23:46 PM

Bill Greer

5/25/2010 9:24:07 PM