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Inside the Gently Competitive World of Giant Vegetable Growing
atlas obscura ^ | 2/24/2021

Posted on 03/01/2021 6:01:03 AM PST by mylife

FOR PETER GLAZEBROOK, THERE WAS one bright spot to 2020. A leek he entered into last year’s Mansfield Grow Show, which judges declared to be a monstrous four feet long, won him a new world record. “That makes 16 world records I’ve held over the years,” Glazebrook wrote to me recently, via email. “However, it’s a competitive hobby, so I currently only hold three.” Today, he is the proud grower of the world’s heaviest cauliflower (60 pounds), potato (10 pounds), and, as of 2020, the longest leek.

Glazebrook, a lithe, 76-year-old former building surveyor from Nottinghamshire, England, is one of the most decorated competitors in the world when it comes to the uniquely British sport of growing giant vegetables. For years, he has dominated a competition that’s grown from a Welsh bar bet into a massive online community of giant vegetable enthusiasts with participants on every continent. “It’s expanded beyond all recognition,” says Kevin Fortey, the unofficial spokesperson for the ‘giant veg’ community. But if 30-foot-long beets, 10-pound tomatoes, or one-ton pumpkins sound like a waste of food and time, government researchers around the world are now taking a serious look at leviathan produce.

(Excerpt) Read more at atlasobscura.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food; Gardening; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: food; gardening; leviathanproduce; vegetables
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To: real saxophonist

🤣


41 posted on 03/01/2021 10:34:02 AM PST by TianaHighrider (God bless President Trump. Prayers for PDJT and his loyal supporters.)
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To: W.
His first 6 movies were the best!

Yes. My favorites were Bananas, Take the Money and Run, and Sleeper. Sleeper is of course the one that my gifs at the top were from.

42 posted on 03/01/2021 10:41:00 AM PST by ETL (REAL Russia collusion! DEMOCRAT-Russia collusion!! China-Russia collusion! Click ETL...)
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To: ETL
My favorites were Bananas

Having Howard Cosell doing the play-by-play of the assasination was brilliance. "And Down!...It's over..all over for El Presidente".

43 posted on 03/01/2021 10:42:51 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dfwgator
Castro-like dictator, El Presidente Esposito:

“From this day on, the official language of San Marcos will be Swedish!
In addition to that, all citizens will be required to change their underwear every half-hour. Underwear will be worn on the outside so we can check.

Furthermore, all children under 16 years old are now... 16 years old!”

president of

Amazon.com: Bananas: Woody Allen, Louise Lasser, Howard Cosell, Carlos  Montalbán, Woody Allen: Movies & TV

44 posted on 03/01/2021 10:44:49 AM PST by ETL (REAL Russia collusion! DEMOCRAT-Russia collusion!! China-Russia collusion! Click ETL...)
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To: dfwgator

45 posted on 03/01/2021 10:46:36 AM PST by ETL (REAL Russia collusion! DEMOCRAT-Russia collusion!! China-Russia collusion! Click ETL...)
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To: dfwgator

46 posted on 03/01/2021 10:48:15 AM PST by ETL (REAL Russia collusion! DEMOCRAT-Russia collusion!! China-Russia collusion! Click ETL...)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

LOL Diana. Thanks for the ping. Go Green..

😎


47 posted on 03/01/2021 11:42:12 AM PST by PGalt (past peak civilization?)
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To: real saxophonist

My mother used to refer to the extra large zucchini in pir garden as “home wreckers.”

She could be a little colorful.


48 posted on 03/01/2021 2:47:48 PM PST by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (To you all, my loyal spell checkers....nothing but prospect and admiral nation.)
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To: ETL
LOL! Probably Photo-Shopped, though. *SMIRK*

Here's my Great Grand-Pappy gettin' his Taters to Market:


49 posted on 03/01/2021 3:35:18 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Goodness! If the ladies were to do a cabbage leaf Fan Dance
this would be the cabbage to use!

(That is a lot of cole slaw!)

Sturtevant WI in July....Cabbage as far as the eye can see!
(And of course the smell!)


50 posted on 03/01/2021 5:40:41 PM PST by Pete from Shawnee Mission ( )
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To: ETL

Too funny! lol lol lol


51 posted on 03/01/2021 7:43:29 PM PST by tob2 (So much to do; so little desire to do it.)
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To: TianaHighrider

“Feed me!” says Audreym the venus fly trap! lol lol lol


52 posted on 03/01/2021 7:48:09 PM PST by tob2 (So much to do; so little desire to do it.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Alaska State Fair, late August. Some of the most amazing vegetables!


53 posted on 03/01/2021 8:05:19 PM PST by Daffynition (*Mega Dittoes and Mega Prayers* & :))
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To: Daffynition

Surreal! That’s a LOT of Sauerkraut!

LOVE the ladies in their Cabbage Costumes.


54 posted on 03/01/2021 8:16:46 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Its wild!

Nothing grown that large can be anything but tough. IMO.

It can be a fun hobby.....but don’t we pay a premium for baby haricort verte, peas, strawberries?


55 posted on 03/01/2021 8:22:16 PM PST by Daffynition (*Mega Dittoes and Mega Prayers* & :))
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To: tob2

It was either President Potato Head or President Potato Brain.

:)


56 posted on 03/01/2021 11:30:12 PM PST by ETL (REAL Russia collusion! DEMOCRAT-Russia collusion!! China-Russia collusion! Click ETL...)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Giant vegetables look cool, but I’d rather breed for taste.


57 posted on 03/02/2021 10:12:30 AM PST by Ellendra (A single lie on our side does more damage than a thousand lies on their side.)
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To: Ellendra

Agreed. I hate cleaning/cooking/processing winter squash as it is!

Oh, well. We’re all eventually compost, anyway. ;)


58 posted on 03/02/2021 1:04:44 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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