Pumpkin Breaks Record At Half Moon Bay Weigh-Off
HALF MOON BAY (KCBS) – The annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Weigh-Off is officially in the books with a record-breaking effort from a Napa grower.
Leonardo Urena has come in second and third before but this year, he topped the field with a pumpkin weighing 1,704 pounds.
"I never thought it was going to be that heavy. I thought that it was going to be close, but not 1,700 pounds," he said. "I said, okay, I'll take that."
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
Three of the top four heaviest pumpkins were grown in Napa this year.
Urena grew his at Hudson Vineyards, where he works. First prize this year: $6 a pound which ended up in $10,224 in prize money.
Thad Star, an Oregon pumpkin farmer and two-time Half Moon Bay winner, said California growers have stepped up to the challenge.
"The weather really helped them quite a bit. But I have a feeling even if it wasn't the weather, they still would have done really well," Star said.
Star said there are a lot of different techniques that growers can use to get that extra few hundred pounds added on.
Urena's giant pumpkin, along with the four other heaviest entries, will be displayed this weekend at the 41st annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival.
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