There are all kinds of nerds in the world, and then there are giant pumpkin growers. What looks like a quirky fall hobby is, in truth, a serious and scientific pursuit that can take years of planning, seed preservation, soil mapping, and careful logistics. It’s a community built on genetics, data, and pure obsession, and it’s even helping advance techniques in modern farming. For these growers, pumpkins aren’t just vegetables; they’re living projects of precision. From small-town weigh-offs to global championships, thousands of competitors around the world are locked in a friendly but fierce race to push past the next record. This year, twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton from Hampshire, England, made history by growing the world’s heaviest pumpkin, a massive 2,819-pound orange globe a

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