A Rhode Island veggie grower’s world record wins him another world record. Joe Jutras is the first ever to achieve a trifecta (three wins) in the hobby of growing gargantuan foods: world records for heaviest pumpkin, longest long gourd, and now, heaviest squash.
After previously breaking two records, Jutras got his third last weekend. His giant green squash squashed the record. It tipped the scales at 2,118 pounds during an official weigh-in. The previous record was 1,844-pounds.
Sounds a bit like the giant grapes Joshua and Caleb found in Canaan—the ones that had to be “carried . . . on a pole between two of them”! (Numbers 13:23)
Jutras’ other titles came in 2006, when he broke the record for longest gourd, with a 126.5-inch gourd; and in 2007, when he broke the record for largest pumpkin, with a fruit that weighed in at 1,689 pounds. Both previous records have since been beaten. But Jutras is the only grower so far to break world records in the three most competitive categories.
“It feels great,” Jutras says. “It’s really been a goal of mine to try to achieve this.”
Jutras has been working on the trifecta for a decade, since his pumpkin win. He was close to the goal a few years ago. But then his squash that was on track to break the record split.
The grower recently retired from his work as a high-end cabinet maker to devote more time to his vegetable hobby.
Jutras notes that other growers have won multiple world records for fruits and vegetables before—but in categories such as carrots, which are not as competitive.
He credits a new soil cultivation technique and a seed from last year’s world record breaker for this year’s win.
(Photo Susan Jutras via AP: Joe Jutras with his record-breaking green squash)
