Giant pumpkin gourds Minnesota's records books
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Charlie Bernstrom grows giant pumpkins by the ton, or almost.
On Saturday, Bernstrom, of Lancaster, Minn. broke the Minnesota state record for largest pumpkin with a 1,990.5 pound pumpkin at the 15th Annual Stillwater Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off.
“It was estimated at 1,970 so I was hoping it wasn’t gonna go light,” says Bernstrom.
Only 9.5 pounds short of the 2,000-pound mark, Bernstrom is hoping to beat a ton next fall.
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“They’ll grow 30, 40, 50 pounds a day. So, once they start growing it’s pretty fun to watch.”
Bernstrom has been growing enormous pumpkins for eight years.
“They take up a lot of time, but it's a pretty rewarding hobby. Everyone likes to see giant pumpkins.”
Bernstrom won $5,000 for the pumpkin over the weekend, smashing the previous state record set in 2018 at 1,918 pounds.
After the weigh-off, the giant pumpkin was sold to a man from Louisiana who plans to carve the beast and display it on his front lawn.