HAMILTON — Jared Persinger has done it again. The renowned Fayette County grower, who operates South Plymouth Pumpkins near Washington Court House, rolled a staggering 2,410-pound giant pumpkin onto the scales over the weekend at the Operation Pumpkin & Art Festival in Hamilton, claiming the title of the second-largest pumpkin ever grown in the state of Ohio.
The 2,410-pound entry trails only Persinger’s own state record: the 2,505.5-pound monster gourd he weighed in 2025. With this weekend’s result, Persinger now officially holds the No. 1 and No. 2 spots for the largest pumpkins in Ohio history, pushing past the 2,388.5-pound benchmark set in 2023 by Bob and Jo Liggett at the Circleville Pumpkin Show.
The Operation Pumpkin weigh-off draws growers from across the country each October. Persinger’s pumpkin took top Ohio honors even in a year when national competition was fierce, including a 2,518-pound pumpkin from New York and a 2,565.5-pound champion at the Canfield World Weigh-Off. Persinger, who took up competitive growing just a few years ago, credits daily care, soil management and patience for his back-to-back record runs.
The Fayette County grower’s one-two punch atop Ohio’s all-time list cements his reputation as one of the nation’s elite pumpkin growers.
