How Farmers Grow Those
Giant Pumpkins F orklifts and cranes may be used mainly for construction work, but every fall, thousands of backyard gardeners use them as gardening tools — or rather, harvesting tools — for their largest single crop.
Massive pumpkins aren’t practical, but they can become a minor tourist attraction in your hometown and even win a few thousand bucks if they’re really huge. However, with the time and effort it takes to get them that big, farmers aren’t in it for the money. They’re in it for the glory. Growing these monstrous fruits (yes, they are technically fruits) is kind of like breeding a racehorse. It takes practice, cultivation, and even good genes. Competitive growers will often purchase the seeds of the previous year’s champions for their plant. After preparing the soil to make it extra fertile, they’ll plant the pumpkin in late winter or early spring. Before the gourd starts growing, flowers on the plant need to be pollinated. Farmers will usually take it upon themselves to pollinate, using pollen from plants with proven genetic lines.
Winning pumpkins usually claim their “father” plant and “mother” seed, like racehorses.
Growing a great pumpkin is practically a full-time job, with some farmers reporting spending 40 hours a week on it. Using heated soil, installing fences to reduce wind, adding sand, and other specific cultivation techniques give the pumpkin a fighting chance to grow into a monster. But, in the end, there’s an element of luck. The competitive growing industry is getting bigger (pun intended). In 1979, the largest pumpkin on record was 438 pounds. Since 2008, the world record has been broken every year. The reigning heavyweight champion, grown in Germany last year, weighed in at 2,623 pounds. That’s as much as a 2018 Toyota Yaris or 1,748 standard pumpkin pies.
It’s a great time of year to warm up with a cup of soup, and this comforting, guilt-free dish comes together in a flash. Sausage and Barley Soup
INGREDIENTS
• Cooking spray • 6 ounces turkey breakfast sausage • 2½ cups frozen bell pepper stir-fry • 2 cups water
• 1 (14½-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped • ¼ cup uncooked quick-cooking barley • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a large saucepan over medium- high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat. 2. While sausage cooks, place stir- fry and 2 cups water in a blender; process until smooth.
3. Add stir-fry puree, tomatoes, and barley to sausage in pan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat;
cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts.
Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com.
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