We have a winner! Travis Gienger grew the heaviest pumpkin ever.

The gourd weighs 2,749 pounds. It took the prize at the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California. The fruit of Mr. Gienger’s vine is enormous, lumpy, and orange. You could use it to make at least 687 pies.

“I was not expecting that. It was quite the feeling,” says Mr. Gienger. He has grown pumpkins for nearly 30 years. He set the U.S. record for growing one such giant last year.

A grower in Italy set the previous world record for heaviest pumpkin in 2021. That winning gourd weighed 2,702 pounds.

Mr. Gienger’s pumpkin patch is in his backyard. This year, he decided to give his plants extra care. He watered them up to 12 times per day. He fed and fertilized them a bit more than usual.

When it comes to the big, colorful squash, he’s had lots of practice. Mr. Gienger teaches horticulture (how to grow plants) to college students in Minnesota. He has grown pumpkins since he was a teenager. His dad grew pumpkins too.

“I put in the work so that I can put a smile on people’s faces,” he says. “It’s just so nice coming out here to see everyone in this town.” The grower champion also won a $30,000 prize.

The gargantuan pumpkin will be on display in Half Moon Bay along with the three runners-up through next weekend.

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the Earth.” — Genesis 1:29