Dr. Steven Strickler’s giant vegetables!

Dr. Strickler became interested in growing giant vegetables in 2011, when he saw a giant tomato at the State Fair. He began growing tomatoes competitively for size. He then got sucked into growing giant pumpkins & squash in 2015. He calculated that he and his wife have spent roughly 1,600 hours this year taking care of 3 Giant pumpkins, 28 Giant tomatoes and the rest of the garden. This year his pumpkin won first prize, weighing in at 1,739 pounds. The vine grew for 5 & 1/2 months. When the pumpkin was lifted, it was 114 days old. His wife, Kathy, was a huge help and supported him in this endeavor, and he could not have done it without her. Also, in 2018 he set the state record for giant green squash at 1035.5 pounds.