It’s the Great Pumpkin – Waterford Man Could be Growing a Record Breaker

The folks from the Guinness Book of World Records Haven't stopped by yet, but a Waterford man's giant pumpkin may be on its way to crushing some records - and anything else that gets in the way.

Meet Frank Morse

Frank Morse isn't a professional pumpkin farmer. He's just an ordinary guy from Waterford who - like everyone else - was bored during the pandemic. But unlike the rest of us, Frank took up pumpkin farming and after a few seasons, he got really, really good at it.

"I was like, 'you know, let's start a garden,'" Morse quips.

His wife Stephanie tells Detroit's WXYZ-TV she thought he was crazy at first.

Morse even has a YouTube channel where he documents the great pumpkin's growth.

Will Frank's Pumpkin Break Records?

It remains to be seen whether or not Frank's pumpkin will end up in the record books. He plans to pluck it from its vine next week and he can't really weigh the behemoth until it's been harvested. He's confident that the pumpkin weighs at least 2,400 pounds.

The current records for the largest pumpkins are as follows:

• Michigan:  2,118 pounds
• US:  2,528 pounds
• World:  2,702.9 pounds

"It will still be 2,400 pounds, I would think, but I hope it’s 27 [hundred], ya know," he says. "I hope it’s over 27."

It's a Family Affair

Frank's dad Mike helps with the care and feeding of the monster, waking up at 6 each morning to feed it. He tells the TV station it takes more than three hours each to feed the great pumpkin.

Regardless of this year's outcome, Frank says that he'll definitely be growing more pumpkins next year.

"I’ve kind of become a pumpkin widow," joked Stephanie.