WATERFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — It's officially pumpkin season in Michigan and for Frank Morse that doesn't mean pulling into the drive-thru for a pumpkin spice latte, it means growing a gourd that's over 2,000 pounds.
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Tucked away in a greenhouse in his dad's backyard in Waterford is his latest pumpkin, an Atlantic Giant Pumpkin to be specific.
Morse told us that he started growing it at the end of June. Now it's at least over 2,000 pounds.
He hopes it's the biggest pumpkin in Michigan this fall.
For the past couple years, Morse has been growing the oversized fruit with the help of family and entering them in state-wide and national competitions.
In 2022 his prized pumpkin weighed in at 2,350 pounds and broke the Michigan state record.
His next goal? The national record - which is 2,560 pounds.
"They grow like a foot a day too," said Morse. "The vine will grow, and this was doing 60 pounds a day at its peak."
The maintenance of the massive pumpkins is also massive.
Morse said that he works in the greenhouse two hours a day.
You'll notice there's cayenne all around his pumpkin. That's to keep mice away. Just one small rodent in the greenhouse could kill the huge gourd.
"It’s wheel barrels full of trimming, almost every day it seems like, and it just never stops growing," said Morse.
It's hard work that comes with a big payoff though.
Morse said that just one seed from the pumpkin will go for $100 and this year's pumpkin is, "probably a $20,000 pumpkin."
It's a lot of cash, but will it win a lot of awards? We'll know Saturday when Morse picks his pumpkin, with the help of a service truck, and takes it to Dundee's Pumpkin Palooza to be weighed.
"I don’t know how we’re in this world now, but we are," said Morse. "As long as we keep winning, we’ll keep doing it. Everyone loves it, it puts a smile on everyone's face."
