In vitrine you had n’t noticed , fall is in full golf shot – and what could be more autumnal than a account about a really bigpumpkin ? The colossal squash racquets in doubtfulness is named Rudy , and has just scooped the grand booty at Half Moon Bay ’s 51st Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh - Off – a competition we ’re ashamed to admit we ’d never heard of before now but shall ardently keep an eye on going forrader .
The monster gourd consider a whopping 1,121 kilograms ( 2,471 Ezra Loomis Pound ) – that’sabout the sameas two grizzly bears or two and a half high-minded pianos – and was grow by Travis Gienger of Anoka Minnesota who has won the contest no less than four time .
Gienger ’s 2023 entry was even heftier : weigh in at a colossal 1,247 kilograms ( 2,749 pounds ) it broke the record forworld ’s overweight Cucurbita pepo . It ’s also the heaviest fruit ever recorded ( yep , that ’s right , pumpkin ’s afruit ) .
2024’s winning pumpkin “Rudy”.Image credit: 2024 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off
The prize for winning such a honored award is befittingly lucrative . TheSafeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh - Offoperates a “ pay - by - the - pound ” organisation , volunteer $ 9 for every pound of Cucurbita pepo . For a goliath like Rudy , that amounts to $ 22,239 . Gienger will also havereceiveda Pumpkin King Champions Ring , a crown , a arrest at a opulence hotel , and will dally a starring role in the upcoming Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival and Great Pumpkin Parade .
If a world disc is broken , like last yr , growers are award a “ mega - loot ” of $ 30,000 – sounds like time to front into autumn pumpkin planting to us .
There ’s also a loot for most beautiful pumpkin ( why not ? ) , which this year was awarded jointly to Eric Carlson of Portola Valley , California , and Hailey & Patrick Winnen of Half Moon Bay for their gorgeous gourd vine .
The weigh - off was first contain in 1974 , when the winning winter squash vine was a measly 60 kilogram ( 132 lb ) . Since then , the entrant have got husky and beefy – for context , Rudy weighs the equivalent weight of 100 sausage pawl or 150 bowling balls .
We ca n’t wait to see what giant next twelvemonth will bring . Until then , we ’ll be marveling at the magnitude of some of the otherheavyweights of the yield world , including thisbountiful blueberry .
