It’s hard to believe that weighing the second largest pumpkin ever could be a let down for the crowd of hundreds at Frerich’s Farm in Warren, RI, but, that seemed to be the sentiment of the crowd when the giant pumpkin tipped the scales at only 1872 pounds.
There was a bit of moaning and grumbling when it became evident that the pumpkin grown by Ron Wallace, of Greene, RI, was not going to eclipse the world record that he set last week at the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, MA. The 2009 pound pumpkin remains the world record holder and only one ton pumpkin ever weighed. 1872 pounds is still big enough to be second on the all-time list – not a bad season for one pumpkin grower!
Wallace had estimated that the pumpkin he saved for the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Grower’s Annual Weigh-off in Warren weighed 2,100 pounds based on its measurements. There was some speculation that the pumpin was going to weigh roughly 2300 pounds – smashing the old record. Wallace did not seem disappointed by the result as he posed proudly by the pumpkin and shared hugs with family and friends.
Alas, estimating the weight of a pumpkin, much like weather forecasting, is an inexact science. It’s the equivalent of calling for two feet of snow, and only getting 18 inches. It’s still a lot of snow, and this was still a monstrous pumpkin. Check out the video for the crowd’s reaction to the pumpkin being weighed.
