Lockwood Man Grows Pumpkin Bigger Than a Small Car, Sets New Montana Record

One determined Lockwood gardener has officially carved his name into Montana history, without ever picking up a power tool. Joe, a local hobby grower with a competitive streak and a whole lot of patience, managed to grow a pumpkin so colossal it smashed the previous state record. This wasn’t a story of overnight success. It was years of tinkering, trial and error, and carefully watching a single plant swell inch by inch under the summer sun.

How a Simple Gift of Seeds Sparked a Full Blown Pumpkin Obsession

Joe first dipped his toes into the world of giant pumpkin growing back in 2021 after getting seeds from a couple of friends on the East Coast. His very first attempt yielded a pumpkin just shy of a thousand pounds, a number that would impress any regular passerby but only fueled Joe’s ambition.

Joe told KRTV that once you hit that size, “you’re chasing the dragon,” and that chase quickly became his seasonal mission. He paid close attention to the state leaderboard and kept inching closer over the years, even coming within striking distance at a previous weigh-off. But close wasn’t good enough.

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One Little Seedling Turned Into a Yard Eating Monster

By the start of May this year, the seedling was moved outdoors, and by mid-summer, the plant had taken over. Joe told KRTV that by July, the pumpkin vine spanned nearly a thousand square feet, basically swallowing a large chunk of the yard. He installed a drip system to feed and water the beast with precision, checking on it daily and refining his process to avoid past mistakes.

A Wyoming Weigh Off Seals His Spot in Montana History

When it came time to haul the pumpkin to a weigh off in Wyoming, over 30 competitors gathered to see whose gourd would reign supreme. Joe didn’t win the overall top prize at the event, but what he did take home was far more important, he officially became the grower of the heaviest pumpkin ever raised in Montana. The final number flashed across the scale: 1,591 pounds. That’s more than 200 pounds heavier than the previous state record.

Prize Money Aside, the Real Fun Comes After the Weigh In

The pumpkin earned Joe about $600 in prize money, but that wasn’t really the reward. The joy was in the journey, and apparently also in the destruction. He plans to slice it open, salvage the seeds for next season, and eventually break it down. He joked to KRTV that it probably wouldn’t make the world’s best pie, but after all that effort, smashing it might be more satisfying anyway.

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No Rest for Record Holders, the Next Giant Is Already in the Works

You might think someone would take a break after growing something the size of a small car, but not Joe. He and his partner Sidney are already planning next year’s run. They’ve proven Montana soil can support a pumpkin that would make even Charlie Brown reconsider his definition of “The Great Pumpkin.”