KENOSHA COUNTY — Wisconsin has a new state record for the heaviest pumpkin grown in the state. Jim Ford holds the new title after his giant gourd weighed in at a whopping 2,551 pounds.
“I’m surprised but then again not surprised. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years, and eventually, you’re going to pop a big one," Ford said.
He grew the pumpkin outside of Fond du Lac. His 2,551-pound pumpkin puts him in the top 10 in the world for the heaviest pumpkins this year. For those who want to see it, well, this pumpkin is on private property in Kenosha County and can’t be visited.
While Wisconsin is known for dairy and beer, giant pumpkin growing should be added to that list. Wisconsin farmers consistently grow some of the heaviest pumpkins in the nation every year.
“In some ways, it's a little hard for me to say because I’m originally from Illinois, but statistically and objectively Wisconsin has the most 2,000-pound-plus pumpkins of any state in the union. So facts don’t lie," Ford said.
Watch to see what a 2,551-pound giant pumpkin looks like...
Wisconsin is on what’s known as the Pumpkin Belt which is a stretch across the country that’s particularly good for growing gourds. It’s all tracked by the Wisconsin Giant Pumpkin Growers association. They’ve been recording data since 1983 when the state record was just 271 pounds.
To grow such big pumpkins you need many things like space, nutrients, proper soil, good irrigation, fertilizer, and one of the most important things is good seed genetics.
These pumpkins are like thoroughbred racehorses. The lineages can be tracked for years. Since Ford holds the new state record, his seeds have become highly coveted.
“I’m getting a lot of requests for these seeds already," he said.
Ford added that a common misconception is that people believe he and other growers inject their pumpkins with milk to help them grow. They do not do that.
Eventually, they’ll cut the pumpkin open, harvest the seeds, and then it will decompose. Unfortunately, the giant pumpkin won’t turn into the next state record for the heaviest pumpkin pie. Some of the other giant pumpkins grown by Wisconsin farmers are donated or sold to fall festivals for pumpkin drops and pumpkin floats. Other pumpkins will just simply sit in a person's yard or outside a business.
This is my fifth time covering giant pumpkins in the state, and every time I see one I am absolutely amazed at how heavy they are. See reporting from 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
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