Ron Wallace Grows First Pumpkin to Top 3,000 Pounds, Setting World Record at 3,156

A 3,156-pound gourd weighed in at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-Off on October 10, making Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, the first grower to break the 3,000-pound barrier. The pumpkin, started from a single seed planted April 15 in his greenhouse, surpassed the previous record by nearly 300 pounds — a margin far beyond the 20 to 30 pounds that typically separates champion growers. That earlier mark of almost 2,857 pounds had stood only a week, set October 3 by British grower Ian Paton, who counts Wallace as a friend and who first urged him to try greenhouse cultivation. Wallace credits controlled water and temperature, "top of the line genetics" and a collaborative growing community. It is his third world record, following a 1,502-pounder in 2006 and a 2,009-pound pumpkin in 2012. Roughly 20 competitors entered at Frerichs Farm in Warren, Rhode Island; Wallace never weighs his entries beforehand, comparing it to opening gifts before Christmas. The pumpkin is touring festivals in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts before becoming the world's largest jack-o'-lantern and eventually compost; Wallace will donate its seeds to growing clubs worldwide for fundraising auctions.