Record pumpkin takes big bow on network television

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Amy and Chris Stevens (center) of rural New Richmond pose for a picture with Regis Philbin (left) and Kelly Ripa of the “Live with Regis and Kelly” show. The couple traveled to New York City last week to appear on the daytime talk show with their world’s largest pumpkin.

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Chris Stevens of New Richmond is an official world record holder.

Last week, the 1,810.5 pound pumpkin that Stevens grew this summer was confirmed as the world’s heaviest by Guinness World Records.

The pumpkin was some 85 pounds heavier than the previous record, a 1,725-pound pumpkin grown last year in Ohio.

According to the official statistics, the pumpkin had a circumference of 186.5 inches, or more than 15 feet.

Stevens first unveiled his pumpkin Oct. 9 at the Stillwater, Minn. Harvest Fest.

A mixture of sunshine, rain, cow manure, fish emulsion and seaweed helped the pumpkin grow at a rate of up to 40 pounds a day, Stevens claimed.

The international hoopla over the huge pumpkin continued last week, when Stevens and his wife, Amy, traveled 20 hours to New York City to appear on the “Live with Regis and Kelly” show on Thursday.

“Everything was a real hoot,” said Amy Stevens, an art instructor at Somerset Elementary School. “Regis and Kelly was great ... very nice people, as well as everyone else on the show.”

Chris Stevens agreed.

“We didn’t meet anyone who wasn’t very nice,” he said. “It was the exact opposite from what I expected in New York.”

Chris said it was a challenge driving his pick-up, with the pumpkin in the bed, in downtown Manhattan. Otherwise, the entire trip was exciting.

“It was a really neat experience,” he said. “It was hectic, but it was worth it. Hopefully we can do it again next year.”

After Thursday’s “long day,” Chris said, the couple was able to take in some sightseeing in the city. They took in the Guggenheim Museum on Friday, much to art teacher Amy’s delight.

Chris continues to get media inquiries from around the world. The British Broadcasting Service did a report on the world record pumpkin. Media outlets in Russia, Ireland and elsewhere have also filed reports.

The pumpkin is now on display at the New York Botanical Garden in New York. It will be carved by a professional sculptor on Friday and Saturday. It will remain on display through Halloween.

The seeds inside the pumpkin will be sent to Stevens, who will apparently donate the precious commodity to the St. Croix Valley Growers Association, which will sell the seeds as a fundraiser for the organization.

Tags: new richmond, rural scene, news, wisconsin, agriculture