Utah’s not conducive to growing pumpkins, but farmers grow massive ones anyway

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — More than 300,000 people will flock to the Utah State Fair over the next 11 days, and among them are giant pumpkin growers.

The 2024 Utah State Fair is hosting a giant pumpkin competition — along with competitions for baking, livestock, and creative arts — as part of its annual event. The pumpkins will be weighed on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 4 p.m. and remain on display for the remainder of the fair, according to the website.

Clint Nash, president of Utah Giant Pumpkin Growers, told ABC4.com his pumpkin weighs 880 pounds this year. However, he said he does not think it will make it to the end because of a small hole in the bottom of the gourd he discovered on the fair’s opening day.

“Its not easy, there’s a lot of things that go into it,” he said. “You have to deal with weather, bugs, funguses.”

Nash continued to say Utah is not conducive to growing pumpkins due to the weather fluctuation in the summer, which can range between over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and low 70s. For that reason, he said they have to make a lot of alterations.

He said they work to keep the pumpkins cool during the day by misting or shading them and attempt to keep them warm at night by placing blankets over them.

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“Its almost like having a pet or a little toddler or something to take care of for a few months,” Nash said.

Jim Seamons, the owner of Cache Valley Giant Pumpkins, got into giant pumpkin farming about 10 years ago. He owns approximately 100 acres where he and his family grow horse hay and pumpkins.

He said he sells many of his pumpkins online, shipping them across the United States through UPS. Last year, he sent about 80 pumpkins to Texas alone, transporting them on a semi-trailer by strapping them between mattresses or other similar items.

Seamons said his giant pumpkins range between 500 and 600 pounds, which are small when compared to his largest one to date.

“My biggest pumpkin, if it would have went to scale, it would gotten over 2,000 pounds,” he said.

Seamons said the pumpkin developed a soft spot that broke when they lifted it to weigh it. The parts that could be weighed amounted to 1,870 pounds. For reference, that is a similar weight to a bull or a bison.

After the competition, farmers will use their giant pumpkins for activities, such as dropping them from cranes or floating on them in a pumpkin boat race. Seamon said giant pumpkins are “just one of those things that’s fun.”

“It just seems to bring out the best in everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you go you can’t not not look at a pumpkin like this and crack a smile,” he said. “So even for a split second if I can take you out of your world and put you somewhere else, I did my job.”

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