At 1,400 pounds, Idaho’s record pumpkin leaves onlookers dazed

MERIDIAN, Idaho — The biggest pumpkin ever grown in Idaho is being seen by tens of thousands of Treasure Valley residents this fall.

The pumpkin, which weighs 1,400 pounds, is on display at the Farmstead Corn Maze and Pumpkin Festival in Meridian, and it’s a whopper.

“It’s a big, big pumpkin,” said Farmstead Human Resources Manager Kyra Gibson. “It’s such a novelty item. People just love to see those kinds of things.”

The previous state record, set in 2012, was 1,219 pounds and the world record is 2,624 pounds, said D.J. Steffler, who grew it in nearby Nampa.

Steffler grew the behemoth in his greenhouse.

“I felt Idaho’s record was soft so I thought it was my job to make an effort at beating it,” he said.

The behemoth attracts a constant stream of curious observers, including Grant Cook, a youth from Boise.

“It’s so big, every time I look at it, it scares me,” he said.

Despite its grandeur, the pumpkin is destined to be smashed to pieces on the Farmstead’s last day of business this year. It will be loaded with candy and prizes and dropped by a crane during the festival’s annual pumpkin smash.

Steffler started trying to grow giant pumpkins three years ago as a hobby.

“The first time I ever saw a giant pumpkin, I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” he said.

Sean Ellis The Associated Press Jim Lowe stands behind a 1,400-pound pumpkin in Meridian, Idaho. The previous state record, set in 2012, was 1,219 pounds.