Ron Wallace, a farmer from Greene, Rhode Island, raised a 3,156-pound pumpkin this year, setting a new world record for the largest gourd ever recorded. Planted from a small seed on April 15, the pumpkin grew rapidly, reaching 600 pounds just 30 days after pollination on June 8. Wallace credited meticulous care, top-tier genetics, and shared knowledge from the global farming community for the extraordinary growth, noting the pumpkin gained over 60 pounds per day at its peak.
The record-breaking pumpkin was weighed at Frerichs Farm in Warren, Rhode Island, where it surpassed the previous record of 2,856 pounds set just a week earlier in Britain. Transporting the massive gourd required a custom harness, seatbelt straps, and a heavy-duty rope to safely lift and secure it on a flatbed truck, with damp sheets and a comforter used for protection before shrink-wrapping. Although Wallace did not weigh the pumpkin beforehand, he expressed confidence it would exceed 3,000 pounds.
Guinness World Records is expected to certify the new record, which excludes squash with green, blue, or gray coloring. Wallace plans to parade the pumpkin in events in Pittsburgh and Massachusetts, though he acknowledges the fame is fleeting—after Halloween, interest wanes. Ultimately, the pumpkin will be composted, completing its life cycle.
Wallace emphasized that modern record-breaking pumpkins result from advances in soil, pruning, pest control, and genetics, with online seed exchanges accelerating progress over the past 40 years. He sells his seeds online but will donate the seeds from this record pumpkin to gardening clubs worldwide for fundraising auctions, ensuring they go to "the right people.".
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing