This weekend, a giant pumpkin was released from a Western Australian prison after spending five months incarcerated.
The impressive 135-kilogram vegetable was sown on Melbourne Cup day at the Bunbury Regional Prison, located in the south west of the state.
According to the prison’s grounds officer, Trevor Bamess, it is the largest pumpkin ever cultivated at the facility.
Tomorrow, it will make its first appearance outside the prison when transported to Dwellingup Primary School for the annual pumpkin festival.
The pumpkin will vie with other contenders for the title of the biggest pumpkin, and stiff competition is anticipated.
In 2000, the champion pumpkin tipped the scales at 220 kilograms.
Bunbury Regional Prison has previously claimed the Dwellingup title on at least two occasions.
Mr. Bamess mentioned that no matter the result, the pumpkin will be enjoyed by inmates during the upcoming winter.
“Though pumpkins this large can be somewhat stringy when cooked, they are excellent for making pumpkin soup, so the prisoners can look forward to a good supply of it this April,” he conveyed in a statement.
The Bunbury prison provides vegetables to several other correctional facilities, and Mr. Bamess observed that many inmates have developed a genuine interest in gardening.
“I had each of the four seeds planted by a different prisoner on Melbourne Cup day, which is traditionally the optimal time for planting,” he noted.
“Initially, the prisoners didn’t show much interest, but as the pumpkins grew larger, I noticed the men were eager to point out which one they had sown.”
