Minnesota Man Breaks World Record With 2,749 LB Pumpkin + Wins Competition For Third Time

How do you get a pumpkin to grow that big? It's insane. A Minnesota man has won the competition at the 50th annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay California.

The competition weigh-off took place on the morning of October 9, 2023. There's money on the line for all of the participants as well. The winning pumpkin gets $9 per pound.

Pumpkin's name is Michael Jordan.

Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota took the top prize with his enormous gourd he named Michael Jordan. This one came in weighing 2,749 LBs, beating the previous record he set last year by almost 200 pounds.

In fact, after last year, event organizers realized they needed to get a bigger scale because these pumpkins were getting so big! Travis said his pumpkin is 7 foot 5 inches long by 6 foot 7 inches wide. Thats huge!

Travis Gienger, according to the AP, is a former horticulture teacher who has been growing pumpkins for almost 30 years.

How Does He Get A Pumpkin To Grow So Big?

Travis said he waters the pumpkin sometimes up to 12 times in a single day. He also applies extra fertilizer. I'm sure he doesn't want to give away any of his secrets. I'm sure it's safe to say that he has quite a green thumb.

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Huge Payday for The Win

Travis took home $30,000 for his giant pumpkin. The pumpkins are on display this week and there even will be some meet-and-greet and photo opportunities with the pumpkins and their growers at the local art festival that takes place this coming weekend.

Building A Dynasty Of Gourds From Minnesota

Travis Gienger has now won three of the last four competitions at Half Moon Bay. With two world records set year after year, who knows how big his pumpkin will be next year?