Nash County man grows world record cantaloupe

NASH COUNTY, NC (WTVD) -- Danny Vester has the magic touch.

The Nash County man has grown record-setting watermelons and pumpkins and has now earned a world record for the largest ever cantaloupe, which weighs 65.9 pounds.

Our partners at the News & Observer reported that Vester grew the cantaloupe in the shade on his Spring Hope property and fed it micronutrients.

"You can usually spot the one that's going to be the best," Vester told the News and Observer. "You might put more leaves on it than the others."

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler told Vester his cantaloupe exceeded the previous Guinness World Record by 1.1 pounds, which was a 64.8-pound cantaloupe grown by a farmer in Alaska.

"I always like to see North Carolina at the top of everything we do," Troxler told the News and Observer. "This is just another to add to the list."

Vester has also held state-records for watermelons at 237 pounds and pumpkins at 1,404 pounds.

Guinness World Records will now certify Vester's cantaloupe before officially proclaiming it the record-holder.