By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

GREENVILLE, Ohio — Pumpkin shows can be found in every corner of each state in the Farm World area, but when it comes to gourds, Greenville is the place to be.

The 46th annual Ohio Gourd Show was held in this west-central Ohio city last month, attracting gourd growers, artists and spectators from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Mississippi. Attendance at this year’s show eclipsed 5,000.
This year’s theme was “46 Gourds and Seven Years Ago,” a tribute to the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

“We had 149 classes on exhibit, from fresh gourds to dried gourds to gourd artwork,” said Ohio Gourd Society Vice President Bob Moss. “Our group is 200 members strong. Interest in growing gourds and creating gourd artwork has doubled over the last eight years. We’re seeing new people in this all the time.”

The Ohio Gourd Show got its start at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in 1962, but was moved to the Morrow County Fairgrounds in Mt. Gilead the following year. The show was in Mt. Gilead for 40 years, but a fire at one of the large structures at that fairgrounds forced the group to move to Greenville, where it has been for the past four years.

There are more than 700 species of gourds and most were on display at this year’s show. Gourd growers were aplenty, as they were anxious to sell to the many artists on hand. From this dried fruit the craftspeople made drums, masks, musical instruments, birdhouses, water jugs, Christmas ornaments, horns, wind chimes and much more.

“I have an appetite for gourd art, it’s real passion,” said Barbara Trent of Somerset, Pa. “In our state we have a short growing season. I’ve sold them for three years and when I see them I have a vision of what I want to make with them. They’re a lot of work and it takes some knowledge working with the gourds.”

Mike Henning of Adrian, Mich., said gourds do well in his state. “Gourds grow well there,” said Henning, who has grown gourds on two acres for the past nine years. “I hand-pollinate mine because bees are so scarce nowadays. I’ve discovered gourds require a lot of water.”

Growers have the chore of making sure the gourds are free from mold once the fruit has been harvested. The mold occurs over the winter months. Most growers say the hardest part of dealing with gourds is cleaning them and keeping the bugs off.

Artists then take the gourds, clean excess mold from the dried fruit and coat them with stain, shellac or polyurethane. They often add acrylic or oil paintings to the gourds; some design intricate artwork using carving or wood-burning tools.

The popularity of the gourds depends on the artist. Some want bell-shaped or apple-shaped gourds to make wall hangings or birdhouses.

Others prefer gourds no bigger than an apple.

One pricey gourd is the zuccu, which grows three feet in length and costs as much as $25. Gourds are relatively inexpensive, but decorative gourds can run between $10-$300.

“I purchase my gourds from local farmers,” said artist SamX, a.k.a. the “Gourd Master.”

“I’ve been at this 12 years now. At one time I used to plant the seed and grow them myself, but I don’t have the time like I used to.”

SamX’s work has appeared at many museums and universities across the country.

“I’ve worked with them for 20 years,” said Greenville resident and gourd show Chairman Tim Moss.

“I’ve gone from woodworking to gourds, and the best part about gourds is they’re forgiving. If you mess one up you can just throw them away.”