Giant pumpkins can top the scales at more than 2,000 pounds – and caring for these behemoths is often a full-time job. But for some growers in the central U.S., the dream of raising a world record-setting pumpkin is a tantalizing prospect.

Joe Adkins calls his home "The Pumpkin House."

His front door and shutters are painted orange. The dining room walls are adorned with ornate pumpkin paintings.

But the backyard garden behind his suburban Chicago home is where The Pumpkin House really earns its name. Towering over a blanket of vines are several massive orange gourds, as big as a small car.

"I grow the ones that are under a pound all the way up to hopefully a couple thousand pounds," he said.

Adkins is a member of a thriving global community of giant pumpkin growers.

These often-amat

See Full Page