Farmer Mike
Encyclopedia
Farmer Mike is the stage name of professional pumpkin carver Mike Valladao of Half Moon Bay, California
.
Farmer Mike specializes in carving giant pumpkins from 100 pounds to more than a half ton each at events such as: the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival
, the State Fair of Texas
, Orange County MarketPlace, the San Diego Zoo
, as well as various hotels, casinos, and malls.
Farmer Mike is known for wearing orange overalls and a straw hat while carving in public. He has been featured in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Boys' Life
Magazine, and has appeared on The Tonight Show
.
. At the time it was the heaviest pumpkin ever grown. Mike contacted a grower for seeds and planted them. The following year, Mike had large Atlantic Giant pumpkins, but nothing to do with them. So he carved one. Word of his talent spread and in 1986 he returned to Half Moon Bay as the festival’s “official” pumpkin carver. He continues to hold that position and has carved at the festival for more than 20 years.
Farmer Mike is sometimes called the Pumpkin Picasso or the Picasso of the Pumpkin Patch. The San Francisco Examiner first called Mike the Pumpkin Picasso in 1997.
In 2008 Mike Valladao authored the illustrated children’s book titled Farmer Mike Grows Giant Pumpkins.
Half Moon Bay, California
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea....
.
Farmer Mike specializes in carving giant pumpkins from 100 pounds to more than a half ton each at events such as: the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival
Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival
The Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is an annual festival held in the coastside community of Half Moon Bay, California for one weekend during pumpkin harvest season. It is one of the oldest and largest local festivals in California...
, the State Fair of Texas
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
, Orange County MarketPlace, the San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
, as well as various hotels, casinos, and malls.
Farmer Mike is known for wearing orange overalls and a straw hat while carving in public. He has been featured in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Boys' Life
Boys' Life
Boys' Life is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America . Its targeted readership is young American males between the ages of 6 and 18.Boys' Life is published in two demographic editions...
Magazine, and has appeared on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
.
Carving Technique or Style
Farmer Mike developed a technique known as “Pumpkin Carving In the Round” which takes advantage of the thick rind of giant pumpkins to provide a three dimensional sculpted effect. His primary tool is a Buck knife. Carvings have included whimsical faces, various animals, movie characters, dragons, landmarks, and caricatures of presidential candidates.History
In 1984 Mike saw a 612 pound pumpkin at California’s Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin FestivalHalf Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival
The Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is an annual festival held in the coastside community of Half Moon Bay, California for one weekend during pumpkin harvest season. It is one of the oldest and largest local festivals in California...
. At the time it was the heaviest pumpkin ever grown. Mike contacted a grower for seeds and planted them. The following year, Mike had large Atlantic Giant pumpkins, but nothing to do with them. So he carved one. Word of his talent spread and in 1986 he returned to Half Moon Bay as the festival’s “official” pumpkin carver. He continues to hold that position and has carved at the festival for more than 20 years.
Farmer Mike is sometimes called the Pumpkin Picasso or the Picasso of the Pumpkin Patch. The San Francisco Examiner first called Mike the Pumpkin Picasso in 1997.
In 2008 Mike Valladao authored the illustrated children’s book titled Farmer Mike Grows Giant Pumpkins.
External links
- Farmer Mike, Carver -HMB Web Site
- http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100810dnmetfairpumpkin.2615c29.html Pumpkin Carver at State Fair, Eric Aasen, Oct 8 2010
- http://boyslife.org/hobbies-projects/projects/2387/how-to-carve-the-perfect-pumpkin/
- The HMB Art and Pumpkin Festival web site