Ohio Mailman Grows 2,513-Pound Pumpkin, and Wins $9,250
A 42-year-old Ohio mail carrier who had never grown a regular pumpkin has broken the state’s giant pumpkin record with a 2,513-pound monster grown in his own backyard.
Adam Momirov of Osnaburg Township, near East Canton, entered his enormous pumpkin in the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers competition on October 10, 2026, without realizing he was about to make state history.
The pumpkin placed second among 41 entries at Parks Garden Center in Canfield, earning Momirov a $9,250 prize and a new Ohio record. The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth’s official leaderboard also lists his pumpkin among the heaviest entries of 2026.
Momirov told the Centre Daily Times that he was shocked when officials announced the weight. The winning entry, grown by Carol and Dave Stelts of Pennsylvania, weighed 2,565 pounds.
From Seeds to Record
Momirov’s unusual hobby began five growing seasons ago when he spotted giant pumpkin seeds at a local greenhouse. Curious about their potential size, he purchased some and began researching competitive pumpkin growing.
His first attempt in 2022 produced a 1,088-pound pumpkin. By 2025, he had increased his personal best to 2,273 pounds, but he still had not broken the state record.
This season, Momirov grew three pumpkins and entered them in separate competitions, saving his largest for his home club’s weigh-off.
The seeds came from a Wisconsin grower. Momirov explained that competitive growers carefully consider a pumpkin’s genetic history, particularly whether its parent plants have produced exceptionally large fruit.
Growing a Monster
Momirov started his seeds indoors in April before transferring the plants to his outdoor pumpkin patch.
Keeping a giant pumpkin healthy requires considerable attention. He used fans and applied alcohol to the exterior to help keep it dry and reduce cracking. Under competition rules, a crack reaching the internal cavity can disqualify an entry.
Ohio’s wet summer worked in his favor. Momirov credited the frequent rainfall with reducing how much watering he needed to do.
Bill Hendricks, a director of the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers, emphasized that growing pumpkins of this size takes extensive research and dedication, not simply favorable weather.
Despite his success, Momirov remains an unusual competitor. Giant pumpkins are the only crop he grows, and he has never cultivated an ordinary pumpkin.
Seeds Worth Hundreds
Momirov also plans to give something back to the organization that helped him achieve his record.
He intends to cut open the giant pumpkin with help from his children, ages 5 and 7, and collect its seeds for donation to the growers club.
The nonprofit typically requests approximately 100 seeds from participating growers, which it sells to support educational programs and competition prizes.
Individual seeds can fetch as much as $100, particularly when they come from pumpkins with proven genetics.
Momirov hopes his donation will allow growers across the country and around the world to attempt their own record-breaking pumpkins using seeds from his 2,513-pound giant.
