Holland squashes the competition, grows second-ever largest pumpkin

Joel Holland’s pumpkin took the win at the Half Moon Pay giant pumpkin growing competition.

Joel Holland of Sumner is known around the Plateau for his giant pumpkins, but when he recently took the win at the Half Moon Bay, California giant pumpkin event, he may just cement his name in giant pumpkin history for growing the second-largest pumpkin ever recorded.

Holland’s pumpkin, an Atlantic Giant, weighed in at 2,363 pounds, and his prize was $7 per pound — more than $16,000.

The current record, set in 2016 in Germany, is 2,624.6 pounds.