Highest scoring Master Gardener (GPC)

Since 2009, the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) has awarded the title of "Master Gardener" to a competitive fruit and vegetable grower who has demonstrated an all-round talent for cultivating giant produce. Allowing eight different categories, the grower's top five entries of the year are taken forward and allocated a score value based on their size, with these best scores then combined at the end of the growing season. Of the 66 qualified growers to enter in 2024 (a record high participation), the winner was Tom Trombley of Michigan, USA, with a final tally of 286.374 points – the highest score since the contest began.

The GPC Master Gardener contest currently allows for eight types of fruit and vegetable to be entered: giant pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima – orange colour), giant squash (C. maxima – non-orange colour), field pumpkin (C. pepo - orange colour, winter), bushel gourd (Lagenaria siceraria – rounded shape), long gourd (L. siceraria – elongated shape), marrow (C. pepo – non-orange colour, summer), giant tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Trombley's top five entries were as follows:

- Tomato = 7.91 lb (3.59 kg) measured at the Michigan State Fair in Novi, Michigan, USA on 27 August 2024 (judges: Todd Cotterman and Derek Ruthruff)

- Marrow = 135 lb (61.2 kg) measured at the Central Great Lakes Weighoff in St Johns, Michigan, USA on 28 September 2024 (judge: Joe Platte)

- Field pumpkin = 233 lb (105.7 kg) measured at Dundee’s Pumpkin Palooza in Dundee, Michigan, USA on 5 October 2024 (judges: Joe Platte and John Harnica)

- Bushel gourd = 414 lb (187.8 kg) measured at Dundee’s Pumpkin Palooza in Dundee, Michigan, USA on 5 October 2024 (judges: Joe Platte and John Harnica)

- Giant pumpkin = 2,201 lb (998.4 kg) measured at Operation Pumpkin in Hamilton, Ohio, USA on 11 October 2024 (judge: Mike Blevins)

Trombley beat the previous highest score for a Master Gardener of 265.72 points, achieved by Cindy Tobeck (USA) in 2021.