Jeff Uhlmeyer, 62, from Olympia Washington won $19,719 after presenting his 2,191-pound pumpkin at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, Mercury News reported.
The Safeway World Championship pumpkin weigh-off kicked off Monday morning and lasted until noon. Officials from the San Mateo County Agricultural Office of Weights oversaw the process with industrial scales and forklifts, according to Mercury News.
Uhlmeyer, who came third in the weigh-off in 2017, said his winning pumpkin was “rock solid,” according to the outlet. The pumpkin was planted in April and was almost lost due to heat waves that occurred in Washington over the summer.
“It just grew and grew. It’s a very thick pumpkin. When I pulled it out of the ground this week, it was still growing,” he said.
Good gourd! 🎃 Jeff Uhlmeyer of Washington wins the 2021 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off with his 2,191-pound mega goliath, taking home the top prize of $19,719. https://t.co/D107J9f11R pic.twitter.com/DVg2J7ZIdK
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) October 11, 2021
Uhlmeyer spoke about how he would spend his prize money and mentioned his wife and four daughters. “I think we will have fun doing something.”
He started growing pumpkins in 2009, according to Mercury News. His first pumpkin weighed almost 275 pounds. RELATED (Bud Light Is Releasing Pumpkin Spice And Toasted Marshmallow Seltzers)
Runners up Leonardo Urena and John Hawkleys showed pumpkins weighing 2,007 pounds and 1,857 pounds respectively, according to the outlet. The contest increased the winning cash prize from $7 a pound to $9 a pound. The largest pumpkin recorded at the festival was presented in 2017, weighing in at 2,363 pounds, according to Mercury News.
The weigh-off is usually accompanied by the Half Moon Bay Arts & Pumpkin Festival, but the event was reportedly denied a permit for the second year in a row.