Claystone is pleased to announce that Alvin Wannechko of Beaver County is the winner of the Giant Pumpkin Growing Contest. As the grower of the three largest pumpkins, Mr. Wannechko was awarded a total of $600 for first, second, and third place.

“This was the first time Claystone has held a pumpkin growing contest, so it was a bit of an experiment for us,” said Corey Popick, Chief Executive Officer for Claystone. “We didn’t hand out the seeds as early as we should have, but despite this, Mr. Wannechko was able to grow some very large pumpkins!”

Claystone visited Mr. Wannechko and his wife, Joslien, at their farm located just a few kilometers south of Ryley, to give them the great news. The visit included a tour of where the pumpkins were grown and to see the pumpkins themselves. The largest of the pumpkins is estimated to be about 200 lbs.  The visit concluded with offerings of pumpkin pie made from one of the pumpkins.

“The Wannechkos are truly wonderful and kind people, and I appreciate the time they spent with us,” said Popick. “As a farm kid from Saskatchewan, I enjoyed learning from Alvin about all the things he has grown on the acreage, not just the pumpkins. I honestly did not know that you could make pie with these types of pumpkins, but I can confirm that it was delicious.”

The Giant Pumpkin Contest was launched on May 2 as part of Compost Awareness Week and Claystone received a total of six entries. This was first time that Claystone has held this type of event and are currently determining whether to relaunch the contest next year.

“It’s impressive how Alvin was able to grow so many large pumpkins successfully, even though he didn’t plant them until the end of May,” continued Popick. “Giant pumpkins need more time to grow, so if we do launch the contest again in 2026, we will do it much earlier so people can start their plants indoors well before planting season.”

More information on the contest can be found at www.claystonewaste.com/pumpkin.