U.S.LOCAL NEWS DESK

Rhode Island Farmer Grows Record-Breaking Pumpkin

The three thousand one hundred fifty-six pound gourd came from a Rhode Island farm and sets a new mark for pumpkins; the scale presumably survived.

On air: Chip Darnell and Dr. Nina Byte on BBN Newsroom
Published 11:47 AM ET, Thursday, October 15, 2026

Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Dr. Nina Byte on this story, from BBN Newsroom at 11:47 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Pumpkin — Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

At a glance

First reported by The New York Times: “Rhode Island Farmer Grows Record-Breaking Pumpkin”.
Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 11:47 AM ET on BBN Newsroom, by Chip Darnell and Dr. Nina Byte.
Topics: Rhode Island.
BBN covered this story before: Rhode Island farmer grows 3,156-pound pumpkin, a new record (October 14).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The New York TimesRhode Island Farmer Grows Record-Breaking Pumpkin

What BBN said about it

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorTeam coverage now, because a Rhode Island farmer has raised a three thousand one hundred fifty-six pound pumpkin, according to The New York Times, and the gourd world has a new measure.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentTeam coverage. Of a vegetable.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOur fake live map shows Rhode Island glowing orange, folks, and that is a very small state holding a very large pumpkin.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe story says it's a record and that's all it says. No farmer name, no contest rules, no scale photo.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThree thousand pounds is roughly a small car, Nina, and nobody has ever carved a small car.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentYou've been waiting to say that for an hour.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd the real worry is next year, because somewhere a seed is already getting ambitious.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFine. It's the one story today that delivered exactly what the headline promised.

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