Thanks to heavy rainfall, the state of Illinois is facing a pumpkin shortage this year, but that hasn't stopped Gene McMullen from growing the largest gourd in North America.

McMullen won the award at the Wine and Harvest Festival in Cedarburg, Wisconsin and chalks up his win to "dumb luck." No special fertilizer or extra water or sunlight, just a passion for growing pumpkins.

While it's not the biggest in the world, McMullen's pumpkin has earned the top spot for the largest grown in North America. It weighs a whopping 2,145.5 pounds and is large enough to make pies for the entire town of Streator, Illinois; where it was grown.

Anyone else suddenly hungry for a piece of pumpkin pie?

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