A Gardening Teacher in Minnesota Sets World Record with Heaviest Pumpkin Weighing 1,247 kg
According to an AP report on October 9, Travis Gienger won the top prize at the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off held in Half Moon Bay, California. Gienger’s bumpy orange pumpkin can be made into at least 687 pies.
Travis Gienger (in orange) with this year’s championship pumpkin. (Photo: AP).
“I did not expect that result. It feels absolutely amazing,” said Gienger, 43 years old.
The previous record was held by a 1,226 kg pumpkin grown by a farmer in Italy in 2021, according to the Guinness World Records.
Gienger grows pumpkins in a field behind his house. This year, he decided to take extra care of his plants, watering them up to 12 times a day and fertilizing more than usual.
Travis Gienger, a landscape and gardening teacher at Anoka Technical College, has been growing pumpkins for nearly 30 years. He first participated in the Half Moon Bay pumpkin weigh-off in 2020 and has won three of the last four giant pumpkin contests.
“I work hard to bring smiles to people’s faces, and it’s wonderful to be here to meet everyone in this town,” he shared.
This year’s pumpkin champion received a $30,000 prize for growing the largest pumpkin and setting a world record.
This pumpkin will be displayed in Half Moon Bay along with the three runners-up until next weekend. Visitors attending the city’s Art and Pumpkin Festival can take photos with Gienger and his unique pumpkin.
