When Andy and Amy Corbin’s largest pumpkin topped the scales at the Fort Collins Nursery's 15th annual Giant Pumpkin Contest and Fall Jamboree on Saturday, nobody was more surprised than they were.
“I quit pre-weighing just because you have that extra thrill and surprise when it goes on the scale,” Andy Corbin told Cowboy State Daily. “I don’t know how to describe that feeling. I’ve been thumping on pumpkins for 13 years thinking I can tell (their weight), but I’m always surprised.”
The Corbins’ pumpkin, the largest of four they grew this year, weighed a flabbergasting 2,062 pounds, breaking the Wyoming state record for the most gargantuan pumpkin ever grown, a record they set last year with an 1,854-pound squash.
After months of cultivation and a bit of luck, Corbin knew he had a special fruit on his hands when he brought the best of the bunch to Fort Collins.
“I had my hopes up when the tractor couldn’t lift it over the side of the trailer,” he said. “I thought, ‘This could be heavy, but what if he doesn’t have enough hydraulic fluid?’ I always downplay a little bit until I see it on the scale.”
Art Through Adversity
Part of Corbin’s surprise came from difficulties growing in Cheyenne this summer. After numerous weather events that are notoriously bad for pumpkins, he wasn’t expecting to grow the state’s first 1-ton monster.
“We had hopes early on in July when it grew 40 to 50 pounds daily,” he said. “But we hit 30 degrees overnight on July 11. Then it happened again at the end of July and a few times in August. The plant and the fruit shut off whenever you get below 40 degrees at night. That really slowed it down.”
Another hazard was the frequent hailstorms that pelted the high tunnels where the Corbins grew their pumpkins. They recorded 19 hailstorms during the growing season. One storm was so severe the hail collapsed one of the tunnels despite hail netting protecting it.
“We average 13 a year at our house,” he said.
Nevertheless, they kept at it, using all their free time to bury vines and check day and night for rotting or cracks in the four pumpkins. Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day even visited their patch for a professional weather assessment.
Corbin believes one of the most critical factors in growing massive pumpkins is one he can’t control.
“Some of it is having that perfect weather and the right conditions. And some of its luck. You definitely have to have the luck factor,” he said.
Getting The Jacket
Neither Andy nor Amy intended to grow a 1-ton pumpkin this year, but they had a special goal this season: a Great Pumpkin Commonwealth’s Jacket Award.
There are two ways for pumpkin growers to get “the Jacket.” One is to grow a single pumpkin to over 2,200 pounds. The other is to grow three pumpkins with a combined weight of over 4,300 pounds.
Despite the adverse weather and the standard difficulties of growing pumpkins at an elevation of 6,070 feet, all four pumpkins the Corbins doted on succeeded — in a big way.
The first pumpkin the Corbins took to a weigh-off in Littleton, Colorado, on Sept. 30 came in over 1,500 pounds. But their pumpkin didn’t win that weigh-off. The victor was fellow Wyoming pumpkin grower Jay Richard, who brought his 1,686-pounder “Joanie” from Worland.
A second pumpkin the Corbins brought to a weigh-off in Aurora, Colorado, weighed 1,822 pounds.
Adding the weight of their record-setting 1-ton giant, the Corbins easily secured a Jacket Award with three pumpkins with a combined weight of over 5,440 pounds. Maybe it was overkill, but they met both jacket criteria.
“I never imagined we’d go over 5,400 pounds between three pumpkins,” Andy Corbin said. “And I never imagined we’d grow a 1-ton pumpkin so soon.”
Team Growth
The Corbins have been growing their pumpkins and taking the fruits of their labor to weigh-offs as a team for three years. For Andy, it makes the process and the victories that much better.
“I don’t know how I could’ve done it without my wife’s help,” Andy said. “I’ve been growing pumpkins since I was a kid in 4-H, and it was just my hobby for a decade. For the last three years, we’ve been 50/50 out in the pumpkin patch, doing the best we can to get the best possible pumpkin. It’s a strange hobby, but a really neat hobby, and it’s wonderful that she really enjoys it too.”
Corbin also supports the efforts of his fellow growers. The Wyoming pumpkin-growing community is spread out but intimate, and everyone shares their experiences from the vine to the scale.
“It’s fun sitting down with other pumpkin growers, talking about what they do, and applying that knowledge to your own patch. We let them know what we’re doing and pass on their information to get everyone to that next level,” he said.
Richard also got his Gen 2 Grower’s Jacket Award this season with three massive pumpkins, one of which won the Wyoming State Pumpkin Championship Weigh-Off in Worland on Oct. 7. Only five or six Jacket Awards are earned worldwide each year, and this year there two forWyoming growers.
Corbin and Richard talk frequently about their processes, checking in on milestones and sharing knowledge. Richard won a weigh-off in Logan, Utah, with a 1,784-pounder grown from one of Corbin’s seeds.
“Jay had a fantastic season, and I’m glad he did so well,” Andy Corbinsaid. “He has a lot of enthusiasm and will grow some giants in the next few years. It’s fun seeing everyone get to their personal best.”
Bigger And Better?
There are no decisions yet, but the next summer goal for Andy and Amy Corbin could be a vacation. They had to cancel their annual summer fishing and mountaineering trips to cultivate this year’s pumpkins, and nobody likes babysitting giant gourds.
“We might take next year off and enjoy the summer from a different perspective,” Andy said. “It’s fun growing pumpkins, but also fun doing other things.”
Yet, there’s always the desire to grow bigger and better. Corbin is aware of the new world record set by a colossal 2,749-pound pumpkin grown this year in Minnesota.
Growing the next world record in Wyoming would take much more investment, but Corbin thinks it’s possible. He’s considered building his own greenhouse to reach the next level by precisely controlling temperature and moisture.
“Wyoming can grow a 1-ton pumpkin,” he said. “If we did have a greenhouse or came up with a better structure, we might be able to hit that world record weight here. There’s definitely the possibility with the things you can do and having the luck to get it there.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
