A New Richmond man is laying claim to having grown the Greatest Pumpkin Of All. Chris Stevens and his family have produced a pumpkin that was weighed Saturday at 1,810 and one-half pounds. The gourd was the winner of the annual harvest festival in nearby Stillwater, Minnesota. Steven says hard work and luck are his keys to growing giant pumpkins. “Time and luck,” he said. “The biggest key is probabley luck. The harder we work the lucker we seem to get.” Stevens also relies on a concoction of manure, seaweed and fish extract to grow his big pumpkins. Stevens is one of five friends who have been growing pumpkins for the Stillwater festival since 2006. “Nothing grows like these things. It’s absolutely unbelievable to watch them grow 30 to 40 pounds a day.” Stevens’ pumpkin is 85 pounds heavier than the current Guiness World Record holder grown last year in Ohio. Festival organizers have contacted the Guiness people to see about certifying Chris Stevens’ pumpkin as the new heavyweight champion.
Jeff Petersen, WIXK