How a California produce farmer raised a 2.000-pound pumpkin

This fall, a California produce farmer named Leonardo Urena harvested a massive pumpkin weighing more than 2,000 pounds. The gargantuan gourd was Urena’s entry into an annual pumpkin face-off, where the nation’s growers compete over the production of the season’s biggest squash. Despite its size, the pumpkin, which Urena calls his “little turtle” for the patch of green coloring near its stem, was bested by another heavyweight from Washington. But Urena isn’t bummed about coming in second, in fact, he’s thrilled. In an interview with The Guardian, he points out that most oversized pumpkins are related, and that among growers, there’s a culture of seed-sharing. This year’s winner actually came from a seed he harvested in the past: “It’s like seeing part of your family being number one.”