North Dakota

North Dakota man grows gargantuan gourd, sets sights on pumpkin world record

Published

1 year ago

September 25, 2024

North Dakota man grows gargantuan gourd, sets sights on pumpkin world record

HUNTER, N.D. — A Minnesota man may hold the world record for growing the largest pumpkin, but an ambitious North Dakota pumpkin farmer is hoping to give him some competition.

Tim Iwen, who has grown and sold pumpkins for 29 years near Hunter, successfully harvested his first giant pumpkin. At 1,250 pounds, the gargantuan gourd is proudly displayed next to a tree at Tim’s U-Pick Pumpkin Patch.

“Maybe some year I can catch up to those Minnesota guys,” Iwen said.

Tim Iwen and his brother, Dan Iwen, are partners in producing and selling pumpkins. Their large patch has 20,000-plus gourds, while the small one has roughly 4,000, Tim Iwen said.

Starting in mid-September, families come to the patch about 3 miles south of Hunter on Highway 18 to pick from an array of pumpkins, squash and gourds. The brothers also sell pumpkins commercially to Hornbacher’s stores in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Hunter is about 35 miles northwest of Fargo.

Tim Iwen focuses on growing the fruit — yes, squash, gourds and pumpkins are fruit — while Dan Iwen handles commercial deliveries to Hornbacher’s.

This year, Tim Iwen started growing his giant pumpkin in April. It started in a greenhouse, then he moved it outside in May, he said.

Tim Iwen looks over the giant pumpkin he grew this season at Tim’s U-Pick Pumpkin Patch located south of Hunter, North Dakota.

David Samson / The Forum

He realized about three-fourths of the way through the growing season just how large the pumpkin would be, he said. At its peak, the light orange could-be jack-o’-lantern grew 15 pounds per day, he said.

“That’s nothing to sneeze at,” he said.

On Friday, the pumpkin stopped growing, Tim Iwen said. He cut it and put it on display.

The key is finding seeds that can become super-sized pumpkins, Tim Iwen said. He bought a seed for $80, he said, adding it came from a pumpkin that weighed 2,200 pounds.

“If you do anything else, you’re not going to get any size whatsoever,” he said.

A tiny pumpkin is suspended in midair as a man in a camouflage hat, fleece zip-up and jeans walks through a viny pumpkin patch, bouncing the pumpkin in his hand under the cloudy autumn sky. — Tim Iwen walks through his field of pumpkins on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Tim’s U-Pick Pumpkin Patch located south of Hunter, North Dakota.

The Hunter pumpkin isn’t quite in the running for the champion title.

Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota,

nabbed the Guinness World Record last year when he grew a pumpkin that weighed 2,749 pounds.

That broke the previous record of 2,702 pounds held by Stefano Cutrupi from Italy.

Tim Iwen acknowledged he has a long way to go before he grows a pumpkin over 2,700 pounds, but he wants to keep trying.

“I’m behind some of those guys in Minnesota,” he said. “We do live in an area conducive to growing large pumpkins.”

In a rusty bucket, a variety of pumpkins and decorative gourds are nestled among jeweled corn cobs that have been dried for display. — A variety of items can be found at Tim’s U-Pick Pumpkin Patch south of Hunter, North Dakota.

This was his second year trying to grow a giant pumpkin. Last year, the bottom of his pumpkin cracked and fell out.

There are cracks on his pumpkin this year, but it is solid.

“I thought it was a little ugly, but it gives it character,” he said.

He had another pumpkin that weighed 1,100 pounds, but he sold it.

Tim Iwen said he is unsure what he’ll do with the giant gourd. For now, it sits on a pallet waiting for customers to admire it.

A man in a camouflage hat, black fleece zip-up and jeans looks over a heap of hay decorated with a scarecrow and pumpkins. — Tim Iwen looks over his straw bale display Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Tim’s U-Pick Pumpkin Patch located south of Hunter, North Dakota.

What: Tim’s U-Pick Pumpkin Patch
When: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Where: 1750 155th Ave. SE, Hunter, N.D.

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North Dakota

North Dakota HS Boys | Girls Basketball Scoreboard from Jan 10, 2026

Published

2 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

High School Basketball logo. Courtesy Midwest Communications.

North Dakota High School Boys | Girls Basketball Scoreboard from Jan 10, 2026

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=

Alexander-Trinity Christian 81, Divide County 58

Beulah 55, Des Lacs-Burlington 26

Harvey-Wells County 61, Nedrose 51

Killdeer 54, Dunseith 52

Linton 75, Sargent County 32

Milbank, S.D. 64, Hillsboro-Central Valley 61

New Salem-Almont 71, Mandaree 32

Our Redeemer’s 89, Kenmare 32

Parshall 71, Trenton 70

Richey-Lambert, Mont. 57, Beach 55

Rothsay, Minn. 71, Richland 38

Shiloh 70, Oak Grove 59

Watford City 77, South Prairie/Max 64

Westby-Grenora 49, Savage, Mont. 40

White Shield 72, Strasburg 55

Dickinson Trinity Shootout=

Central McLean 70, Bowman County 54

Dickinson Trinity 63, Stanley 22

Wilton-Wing 70, South Heart 51

Ramsey County Tournament=

Championship=

North Star 65, Lakota/Adams-Edmore/Dakota Prairie 57

7th Place=

Warwick 72, Benson County 61

5th Place=

Carrington 53, Griggs-Midkota 45

3rd Place=

Devils Lake 73, Larimore 63

Stutsman County Shootout=

Drake-Anamoose 54, South Border 49

Glen Ullin 47, EKM 44

MPB 63, Washburn 59

Midway-Minto 61, Ellendale 53

Napoleon/G-S 53, Kindred 44

Oakes 69, Kidder County 39

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=

Ashby, Minn. 65, Tri-State 49

Benson County 47, Hatton-Northwood 38

Dunseith 46, Killdeer 39

Ellendale 54, South Border 36

Flasher 42, New England 16

Garrison 54, Grant County/Mott-Regent 51

Kenmare 55, Our Redeemer’s 43

Kindred 70, Bottineau 21

Lambert, Mont. 52, Beach 50

Maple River 53, LaMoure 52

Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 57, TGU 54

New Salem-Almont 67, Mandaree 44

North Prairie 67, Westhope 49

Park River 42, Griggs-Midkota 37

Richey-Lambert, Mont. 52, Beach 50

Rothsay, Minn. 65, Richland 32

Sargent County 55, Linton 48

Savage, Mont. 40, Westby-Grenora 33

Shiloh 56, Oak Grove 47

Sisseton, S.D. 66, Oakes 17

Strasburg 39, White Shield 30

Surrey 67, Larimore 38

Trenton 58, Parshall 40

Dickinson Trinity Shootout=

Central McLean 55, Bowman County 41

South Heart 45, Stanley 41

Sanford Pentagon Classic=

West Fargo Horace 70, Tea, S.D. 41

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North Dakota

Bankruptcies for North Dakota and western Minnesota published Jan. 10, 2026

Published

14 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court

North Dakota

Kaitlyn Grace Lucier, Fargo, Chapter 7

Samuel Todd Hicks, formerly known as Thomas Samuel Hicks, Fargo, Chapter 7

Teresa and Dominik Renwick, Fargo, Chapter 13

Susan Renee Fuller, formerly known as Susan R. Schaffer, doing business as Susie’s Sparkling Cleaning Service, Fargo, Chapter 7

Shannon Lynn Taylor, Fargo, Chapter 7

Jesse Patrick and Jaime Elizabeth Brown, Williston, Chapter 7

Kerri Lee Weishaar, Minot, Chapter 7

Terry Marie Moritz, Valley City, Chapter 7

Joshua Allen Sewill, Hatton, Chapter 7

Bryan Eugene Flecker, Minot, Chapter 7

Anna Marie Rahm, formerly known as Anna Marie Tanner, and Joshua Edward Rahm, Bismarck, Chapter 13

Sherri Rae Fisher, Baldwin, Chapter 13

Heather Lynn McElroy, formerly known as Heather Anderson, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Kaitlyn Autrey, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Michelle Lynn Miller, Fargo, Chapter 13

Kimberly Georgeann Callahan, Fargo, Chapter 13

Erin Elaine and Jose Luiz Murphy, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Shelly and Kieth Quimby, St. Thomas, Chapter 7

Minnesota

Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

David Howard Gilpin, Osakis, Chapter 7

Timothy Virgil Hoag, Moorhead, Chapter 7

Jason Darryl Dykhoff, Ottertail, Chapter 7

Zachary Nicholas Hodgson and Jolynn Beth Warnes, formerly known as Jolynn Beth Hodgson, Kensington, Chapter 7

Riley Matthew Hinman, Alexandria, Chapter 7

Layne Christopher Condiff, Park Rapids, Chapter 13

Thomas Beecher Hoyer, Menahga, Chapter 13

Christine Karen Jakubek, also known as Cristine Anderson, Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.

Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.

Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.

Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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North Dakota

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – On Friday, North Dakota U.S. Senator John Hoeven, Governor Kelly Armstrong and Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor explained how the state plans to use millions of dollars from the Big Beautiful Bill’s Rural Health Transformation Fund to transform healthcare across the state.

They spoke extensively about the special session to allocate the funds, and confirmed that it is still tentatively set for Jan. 21.

The Big Beautiful Bill allocated $25 billion for rural healthcare nationwide. North Dakota received $500 million for five years and $200 million for the first year. There is still another $25 billion left to be spent, and North Dakota is hoping to receive an extra $500 million.

“I truly believe that with the plan we’re putting in place and the things we built that line up with that, we’ll get a billion dollars over five years,” said Hoeven.

Federal rules require the state to lock in contracts for the money by October first— a deadline officials say is driving the need for a special session.

In the first year, North Dakota will focus on retention grants to keep existing staff, technical assistance and consultants for rural hospitals, as well as telehealth equipment and home patient monitoring.

A KFYR+ exclusive

Governor Armstrong says the special session will include policy bills tied to how much federal rural health funding the state can earn.

“We’re going to have a physical fitness test for physical education courses, nutrition education, continuing education requirement for physicians, physician assistant licensure compact—which North Dakota has been doing, dealing with that since the heart of the oil boom and moving forward—and then an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists,” said Armstrong.

Hundreds of millions of dollars could reshape healthcare in rural North Dakota, and state leaders say the next few weeks are key to receiving and spending that money wisely.

The governor says he only wants to focus on bills related to the Rural Health Transformation Program during the special session and doesn’t intend to deal with other state issues during that time.

Politicians outline plans for ND Rural Health Transformation Program

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