ANOKA, Minn. — On a chilly April morning, Travis Gienger took his first gamble of the 2025 season. The world-champion giant-pumpkin grower typically starts his seeds indoors. But this year he was out ...

Each morning in the summer and early fall, you can find Steve Connolly in his Sharon yard, maneuvering around a giant network of vines. “It's kind of hallowed ground in here,” Connolly said. “These ...

Giant pumpkin grower Joe Adkins shows off his backyard patch in suburban Wheaton, Illinois, in September. He hauled one of his pumpkins to the annual Illinois Giant Pumpkin Growers Association's weigh ...