Do you have a dream that you’d one day like to fulfill? Take a minute to think about your deepest desires, loftiest goals, and biggest aspirations. What does that look like to you? Would your dream – perhaps – be to grow a massive pumpkin and turn it into a boat? Well, for Justin Ownby, that’s exactly what he dreamed of doing – and he did it.
Ownby, a farmer from Chattanooga, Tennessee, has spent the last four years growing the biggest pumpkin he could possibly grow.
Ownby did his research beforehand and got his hands on a very special pumpkin seed. The seed came from a pumpkin which broke records when it weighed in at 1,700 pounds – it won the title for the biggest pumpkin in Tennessee 2018.
This year, it was Ownby who had his eyes on the prize for the largest pumpkin. With his mighty seed in hand, Ownby immediately got to work planting and tending to his dream pumpkin.
“He chose a spot where the water ran off easily, keeping it cool in the heat of the day, keeping it watered and making sure that squash beetles didn’t overtake it,” his wife, Christin, told WTVC.
All of Ownby’s dedication and hard work paid off when he ended up growing a 910-pound pumpkin – the largest the family had grown previously was just over 200.
“It’s the biggest we ever grew,” Christin told CNN. “The largest before was 220 pounds.”
Ownby was so proud of his accomplishment that he wanted to celebrate by taking things just one step further. He cut open the pumpkin, hollowed it out, and turned into a ‘boat’ of sorts. With his giant pumpkin boat in tow, he took his kids to their local pond to give it a try.
Ownby hopped into the pumpkin with an oar in his hand and started to hilariously paddle around the pond.
At one point during his expedition around the pond, Ownby attempts to stand up in his makeshift vessel and struggles to keep his balance. In the background of the videos, you can hear family and friends cheering him on. At one point, someone off-camera yells at him to reenact “Washington crossing the Delaware!” Unfortunately, that’s when the rocking and motion became just too much for the floating gourd – it capsized and takes Ownby down with it!
Sadly for Ownby, his pumpkin wasn’t going to win any prizes this year – it was all about family fun. Ownby and his family were going to be out of town during the pumpkin event, so they just wanted to have fun with it! Next year, though? He has his eyes set on winning.
“He is hoping to break the 1,000-pound mark next year,” Christin said.
Ownby is going to have to try harder next year – the competition is stiff.
Connecticut resident Alex Noel set a new record for the heaviest pumpkin at the New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off with his 2,294-pound pumpkin. Now, that’s a lot of pumpkin seeds and pie!
“It’s a dream come true. I’ll sleep better tonight than I have in 18 years,” Noel said of his victory which grossed him $8,000.
Pretty impressive, right? Check out more of Ownby’s videos in the full Facebook post below.
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https://www.facebook.com/christin.ownby/posts/10101335148144848
