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.

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.

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.”

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.

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