Huron Expositor, 2006-09-27, Page 36Pegs 36 The Huron Expositor *September 27, 2006
News
Three-year-old from Kippen keeps family
tradition alive selling pumpkins at'Ciderfes
Jeff Heuchert
Back when he was five years old, Jeff
Gemmell, of RR2 Kippen, took a liking
to selling pumpkins from his parents'
farm.
Now years later, Gemmell's three-
year-old son Owen is following in his
father's footsteps - at least during . the
late summer and early fall months.
Owen, along with his parents Jeff and
Leanne, withstood the rain this past
Sunday at the 34th annual Ciderfest to
peddle some bright orange pumpkins.
"He's always wanted to be involved. If
we're out planting he wants to be out
there putting the seeds in the ground,"
says Jeff, who resides on the same cash
crop farm he grew up on
"It's really helped with his counting -
two or three seeds in each hole," he
adds.
Jeff recalls selling pumpkins when he
was a kid, \either at Ciderfest, noting
thatthey were "a little bit less," in
price back then.
"We always had a big garden and lots
of pumpkins. More than we ever need-
ed."
"Whether it was for a college fund or
just because we had a lot of pumpkins
we needed to get rid of," says Jeff, try-
ing .to recall why he started selling
pumpkins in the first place.
"And we've continued ever since," he
adds.
Once -through college, Jeff stopped
selling the pumpkins, however Owen's
grandparents - Ken and Norma
Gemmell, of Kippen, and Mery and
Don Erb, of Brucefield, have kept,it up,
selling pumpkins from their homes.
Last year was Owen's first attempt at
selling pumpkins, however, Jeff says he
still has to work on his people skills.
"He still needs to work with his shy-
ness, but he's having lots of fun," he
says.
When asked why he likes selling
pumpkins, Owen's reply is short, but
sincerely sweet.
"lb be like my_dad," he says.
Jeff Heuchert photo
Leanne Gemmell, of Kippen, holds her three-year-old son Owen around
the pumpkins they were selling at Ciderfest this past Sunday.
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