New London man seeks world status as giant pumpkin grower

NEW LONDON -- Chad Revier has already broken the Minnesota state record he set last year for growing the largest pumpkin.

Now he's seeking the status of "Grower of the Year" for the world.

A 1,579-pound pumpkin the New London man grew this year outweighs the giant pumpkin he grew last year by about 150 pounds. It currently ranks as the fifth-largest pumpkin grown in the world this year and ranks eighth-largest pumpkin ever grown in the world.

The giant pumpkin was weighed at a sanctioned Great Pumpkin Commonwealth event last weekend in Nekoosa, Wis., where it took first place.

He also placed first for a 1,425-pound pumpkin at another event in Redwing.

On Friday evening he loaded up two more giant pumpkins that he's taking to Stillwater today for a third competition. His pride is a bright orange pumpkin that he estimates at 1,500 pounds.

If the combined weights of his top three pumpkins at the three separate weigh-ins total 4,500 pounds, he'll have accomplished something that hasn't been done before.

That could put him in the running for the Commonwealth's annual "Grower of the Year" in which giant pumpkin growers from all over the world compete.

After the vines were cut, Revier taped bags of water to the stems to keep feeding the pumpkins. They were then carefully hoisted from the garden and put on a trailer. He wrapped the pumpkins in wet towels and covered that with plastic wrap to prevent any weight loss.

"I'm fighting for every pound," said Revier.

He thinks he has a good chance of winning the world grower award, but hears there may be a contender from Iowa.

"I think the guy in Iowa has got me in the end, but we'll see," he said.