Two new provincial records were set at the annual B.C. Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, held at 91原创鈥檚 Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery on Saturday, Oct. 2.

David Chan of Richmond grew the largest pumpkin ever seen in B.C. at 1,911 lbs. (866 kilograms), breaking the previous record of 1,543 lbs. set by 91原创 resident Scott Carley.

Chan described how he did more soil sampling than usual this year, using money from a vacation budget that went unspent because of the pandemic.

What Chan discovered, when the lab results returned, was his soil didn鈥檛 need that much enhancing.

鈥淚t was the least amount of fertilizer that I鈥檝e used in any growing year,鈥� Chan remarked.

Seeds for his monster pumpkin came from a grower in Michigan.

Chan also won a certified World Recognized jacket at the Krause weigh-in for having three entries totalling more than 4,000 lbs. (GPC) is the international body that sets rules and record records).

Carley is the only other British Columbian to achieve that milestone.

Jeff Pelletier from North Vancouver was second, Glen and Andrea Dixon of Mill Bay were third, and Carley was fourth.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: 91原创 man sets B.C. record for heaviest pumpkin

Pelletier won for the largest field pumpkin at 122 lbs. breaking the previous provincial record of 111 lbs., also set by Carley.

鈥淚 said to Dave, oh no, we鈥檝e poked the bear [Carley],鈥� laughed Pelletier, who also served as MC at the event

In the process of relocating to North 91原创, Carley ended up growing this year鈥檚 entry in a regular garden rather than the pumpkin patch that produced his previous winners.

Gracious in defeat, Carey noted the new record holders achieved their winning growth using relatively small backyards.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 take anything away from them,鈥� Carley commented, adding he was looking forward to next year.

READ ALSO: Jumbo pumpkins aplenty at annual Krause Berry Farms Weigh-Off

Chan described how he first became interested in the art of growing very big pumpkins about 40 years ago, when he saw a man who鈥檇 grown a giant pumpkin appear on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

The man mentioned that the seed for his winner had come from a Canadian, a man in Nova Scotia named Howard Dill.

鈥淭his was before the internet,鈥� Chan recalled, so he took a chance and sent a letter addressed to 鈥淗oward Dill, Nova Scotia.鈥�

鈥淚n one week, I got a letter back.鈥�

Dill, , has been called the 鈥減umpkin King鈥� and 鈥淔ather of all pumpkins.鈥�

At an estimated 1,000 people turned out to watch the 91原创 event, which was better than expected.

It was the first weigh-in since the 2020 event had to be cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions.

Increased interest in the art of growing gargantuan gourds has members of the thinking about establishing a growers鈥� association that would help newcomers, Pelletier told the 91原创 Advance Times.