You’ll need more than a spoon to turn John Twelves’ pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.

You’ll need a shovel.

The Physics and Biology alumnus and former OPP officer recently entered a 600-pound behemoth into the Port Elgin, Ontario Pumpkinfest.

Unfortunately for Twelves, the knack for growing giant gourds runs in the family: his granddaughter Lexi’s pumpkin weighed in at 640.5 pounds.

A lifelong member of the science fair movement, Twelves now chairs the Bluewater Regional Science and Technology Fair and is a judge with the Canada-Wide Science Fair.

Twelves says he’s particularly proud that two of the regional fair’s students are currently studying at McMaster: Megan Schlorff is a Medical student and her younger sister Jenna is in Health Sciences.