CANFIELD, OH - “It’s the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” I bet that is a movie title you will always think of every time you see news about big pumpkins, for that is the collective thought for us all here in the ANUK office. This year, Ben McMillin snagged the (unofficial) winning title of gigantic gourd with his behemoth of a specimen, clocking in at 1,693 lbs. And this was all unveiled at the Canfield Fair in Canfield, Ohio.

“By working together and trading seeds, we’ve learned we can grow bigger pumpkins. We’ve built a real camaraderie,” Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers (OVGPG) Director Tim Parks, said. “This is more or less the World Series of gardening. It’s intense. It’s hard work. But, it just comes down to good growing practices.”

While anyone can enter a pumpkin at the fair, most who do are members of the OVGPG. Founded over 25 years ago to give growers the opportunity to come together, the group hosts two seminars a year. OVGPG is one of three giant pumpkin-growing organizations in the Buckeye State and will have the final weigh off the second Saturday of October, which is on October 8 if you’re interested in popping over to Ohio.

Curious to take a peek at this perfectly prodigious pumpkin? Check out Salem News’ coverage on the record-setter and here for WKBN27’s report.

And keep your peepers on ANUK for the latest info in our industry.