A California farmer made history on Monday after submitting a 2,058-pound pumpkin to a growing competition, breaking the record for largest pumpkin grown in North America.
Organizers of the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival told the Los Angeles Times that the pumpkin was the first in the event’s history to weigh over 2,000 pounds. Napa grower John Hawkley was awarded first prize and $13,358 for his effort–$6 per pound plus a $1,000 bonus for largest pumpkin.
“We never thought anything like this was ever going to happen,” Hawkley told CBS San Francisco. “It just did.”
Hawkley’s white pumpkin defeated a 1,828-pound pumpkin that was disqualified for having a soft spot, as well as another 1,740-pound pumpkin, according to the Times.
The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off is just one of several pumpkin-themed events leading up to this weekend’s Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay, California. Other events include the Most Beautiful Pumpkin Contest, a Great Pumpkin parade, pumpkin carving and pie-eating contests.
According to the Times, the world record for heaviest pumpkin was set on Sunday in Ludwigsburg, Germany, when Swiss grower Beni Meier submitted a massive, 2,323-pound gourd.
Photo: AP
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