Heaviest Pumpkin in Wisconsin grown right here in Fond du Lac County

A new state record has been set for the heaviest pumpkin, and it was grown in Fond du Lac County.

The 1 1/4 ton pumpkin was weighed in at the 2024 River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival near Eau Claire. The pumpkin was grown by Jim Ford in the rural Eldorado area. Ford has been growing giant pumpkins for 20 years and says to grow pumpkins this big, you need space, nutrients, proper soil, good irrigation, fertilizer, and most importantly good seed genetics. This explains why his seeds have become highly sought, and he’s had numerous requests for them since breaking the record.

The pumpkin is now sitting on private property in Kenosha County.