Published in the Oct. 29 – Nov. 11, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Photos by Mark Fenichel
The Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Park brought in thousands of fans of the annual orange squash to Morgan Hill Oct. 11 to find out who of 24 contestants would win in the 24th Annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off contest. Two pumpkins came in which tipped the scale at more than a ton each. Napa’s Pete and Cindi Glasier came in first place with a pumpkin that weighed 2,036 pounds and netted them prize money of $14,252. Also from Napa, Jack Hawkley’s 2,002-pound pumpkin brought him second place. The first pumpkin contest held at Uesugi Farms in 1991 had a winner that brought in a 236 pounder.
Uesugi Farms did not garner the world’s record pumpkin this year. That pumpkin was celebrated at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival held Oct. 18. The record-smashing winner was grower John Hawkley who established a new North American record with a 2,058 pound Atlantic Giant that dominated the 41st Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Hawkley’s gourd is considered the third heaviest pumpkin worldwide in 2014. This was his first win at Half Moon Bay, considered the Super Bowl of weigh-off events.
