Exchange Spotlight: Steve Strickler, Pumpkin and Tomato Grower Extraordinaire

It’s a fact—the Exchange remains a vibrant source of unique, awe-worthy seeds because of our passionate listers and their distinctive interests. One such lister is Bloomington, Indiana, resident Steve Strickler, a grower of state record-breaking produce. Having spent his whole life gardening, he viewed joining Seed Savers Exchange in 1987 as an opportunity to feed his passion for finding and saving diverse seeds and connecting with a community of other seed savers.

A man smiles in front of a window holding two very large tomatoes

By 1996, Steve was sharing his own seeds on the Exchange, most often tomatoes acquired from other listers and some commercial sources. Steve has also introduced his own tomato varieties, including ‘Bogeywine’ (a ‘Yellow Brandywine’ cross) and ‘Bronze Orb’ (an accidental cross between ‘Green Zebra’ and an unknown black tomato).

Around 2014, Steve took a dive into the world of competitive tomato and pumpkin growing and didn’t take long to achieve success. (Yes, he has many champion veggies to his name!) Read on to learn more about his wow-worthy produce, highlighted in the photos below.

1,000 Pound Pumpkins

A man wraps his arms around a giant pumpkin resting on the ground

Steve starts his giant pumpkins at the end of April or beginning of May, managing the temperature with an electric heater for the first couple weeks. Pumpkins, he notes, can grow up to 40 pounds a day at their peak! This pumpkin, affectionately named ‘Putty,’ would have been his largest in 2020—Steve estimates it reached 1,425 pounds but was disqualified from competition because of rot, probably due to water accumulation or a hungry vole.

Three people stand around a giant pumpkin being lifted off the ground by a huge tripod with ropes

How does one move a 1,000-plus pound pumpkin successfully? Well, it involves a lot of teamwork, as well as a homemade lifting tripod composed of three 16-foot timbers connected to a chain hoist. Underneath the pumpkin is a steel lifting ring.

A crowd of people pose around a giant pumpkin

Pumpkin competitions looked different in 2020, with many state fairs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of gathering at a state fair, these pumpkin growers assembled outside at one grower’s farm. Steve’s 1,197-pound pumpkin took second place, tipping the scales at just 14 pounds shy of the winning pumpkin.

Record-Breaking Tomatoes

A man poses wearing a ribbon and holding a giant tomato and a "champion" plaque

Steve grows record-breaking giant tomatoes too. This huge tomato earned him first place at the 2019 Indiana State Fair. Steve’s tricks for growing larger tomatoes include grafting his tomato plants and identifying “mega-blooms.”

In 2017, Steve set the state record for giant tomatoes in Indiana at 5.24 pounds. In 2021, he smashed that record with tomato weighing 8.355 pounds!

A man and a woman pose behind a giant pumpkin in a garden, using the pumpkin as a table for drinks

And finally, Steve shares that the most important rule of gardening is “to always have fun.” Here he and his wife, Kathy, enjoy their garden “cocktail table.” Visit Steve’s profile to request his tomato and squash seeds through the Exchange.

About the Exchange

The Exchange, is a gardener-to-gardener seed swap that Seed Savers Exchange has facilitated since 1975. Since then, participants worldwide have shared tens of thousands of varieties, many of which cannot be found anywhere else. Become part of our participatory preservation network by joining the Exchange today!

Originally published November 4, 2020. Updated January 31, 2025.