[March 17, 2014]      

Condill shared with the group his many interesting and exciting experiences as a horticulture student at Illinois State University.  His travels have included internships in Ireland and South Africa.

He has spent the last 25 years as an integral part of The Great Pumpkin Patch, a farm and tourist attraction that was started by his parents. At the farm, they grow hundreds of pumpkins and gourds, with the majority of the varieties being from other countries.

Condill has also created massive displays from his pumpkin and gourd products, including one on the White House lawn in Washington, D.C., in 2010. He has appeared on "The Martha Stewart Show" on three occasions and entertained the audience with an interesting story on how he managed to finagle that first appearance with the well-known hostess.

Pictures by Nila Smith and Jan Youngquist