Photos: More pumpkins from Gary Adams’ giant pumpkin patch LaFayette (WSYR-TV) -- A LaFayette man is trying to grow the biggest pumpkin in New York State. He’s done it before and took home the title last year with a pumpkin that weighed in at more than 1,300 pounds.
Gary Adams has a passion for pumpkins. This year, he has grown about 10 in his super-sized pumpkin patch. Although many are big, looks can be deceiving because it's the weight that really matters.
"You don't know until you put it on that scale; what it's going to weigh," said Adams. "Hopefully, either this one, or the one over there breaks the state record."
To break New York’s record, Adams' pumpkin will have to tip the scale at more than 1,630 pounds, which was set a few years ago.
Adams – a plumber by day – is otherwise the heavyweight champion of pumpkins. With a number of wins already under his belt, he’s hoping to outweigh the competition again this year.
The secret is a good seed, according to Adams. There is a big market for the ones that have grown past winners. This year’s pumpkin sprouted from the world’s record breaker.
Once it’s planted, Adams' green thumb and dedication does the rest. He spends countless hours in the field and says he finds peace in his pumpkin patch.
“It’s very peaceful, relieves a lot of stress, a lot of fun, you meet people from all over the world,” he said.
After the pumpkins are picked, the even bigger task is picking them up and bringing them to the competition. But it’s worth it because the prize can range from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand.
The world record for the heaviest pumpkin is 1,818 pounds. Adams says he doesn’t think he’ll break that, but says the state record is within reach.
