Winning Pumpkin of World Championship Weigh-Off Comes in at Nearly a Ton

The winner of the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off came in weighing around a ton.

The massive gourd weighed 2,191 pounds, earning its grower — Jeff Uhlmeyer from Washington state — over $19,000 in prize money. 

The contest took place in Half Moon Bay, California, for its 48th year. "Oh, it's a pleasure to come here. It's kind of the granddaddy of, in my opinion, of pumpkin competition," said Uhlmeyer.

"So it's a pleasure to be here and be part of this. Good growers in a good atmosphere, a good camaraderie."

Uhlmeyer told the Associated Press his success with his pumpkins, which take 100 days to grow, is a result of "Good soil practices. Balance the nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and just good plant management. So that's basically what I concentrated on this year and went back to the basics.

"It's been a long season, but I started the seed in April and was able to pollinate it mid-June. And the pumpkin took off and this is what I ended up with.”

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