Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe ENUMCLAW, Wash., Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A Washington state man whose 994.5-pound pumpkin took first place at the state's largest fair said he has larger pumpkins ready for October events. Robin Halbert, 40, of Enumclaw, took first place at the giant pumpkin weigh-off at this month's Puyallup Fair and said he expects to enter an even larger pumpkin at the Oct. 9 weigh-off at the Central Market in Shoreline, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday. Advertisement Halbert, who grows his pumpkins in an 800-square-foot greenhouse, said he enjoys the sport of giant pumpkin growing, as well as the thrill of seeing a plant gain up to 50 pounds in a single day. "Anybody can be a pro athlete in giant pumpkin growing. You don't need the physique to be in the NFL or NBA," Halbert said. He said the hobby is great for meeting new people. "It's the disbelief a vegetable can be that big. This isn't fiberglass. This is real. You say, 'I grow Giant Pumpkins.' You've got a friend instantly," he said. The heaviest pumpkin on record was a 1,725-pound gourd grown in Ohio, the newspaper said.
