Somewhere in Maine, there's a tomato that could qualify as a carry-on. Leon Busby of South Bristol recently grew a tomato weighing 6.92 pounds on a Walpole farm, setting a new state record and giving the rest of us a new perspective on the little tomatoes rolling around in our salad bowls.

According to The Lincoln County News, the previous Maine record was 5.19 pounds. Busby's tomato didn't squeak past it. It arrived with nearly two additional pounds.

This Tomato Is One of the Biggest in the World

Busby's tomato was harvested from his Walpole farm on September 14th. At 6.92 pounds, it's not only the largest tomato recorded in Maine. It’s the 10th largest in the world according to rankings from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.

Busby didn't know exactly what he had until he brought the tomato to Main Street Grocery in Damariscotta, where employees helped him with the official weigh-in.

Imagine popping into the grocery store carrying a tomato roughly the weight of a newborn baby.

His Giant-Growing Hobby Started With a Pumpkin

Busby didn't wake up one morning and decide that ordinary tomatoes were no longer sufficient. He entered the world of competitive growing about four years ago after his mother volunteered to grow a pumpkin for the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta. The family ended up with a pumpkin weighing almost 200 pounds.

From there, Busby joined the Maine Pumpkin Growers Organization, which sends members seeds each year. A couple of years ago, some tomato seeds appeared in his packet. His first attempt produced a 3-pound tomato. For most of us, that would be the tomato we talked about for the rest of our natural lives. Busby decided to try again.

Growing a 6.92-Pound Tomato Takes Some Work

This year's record-breaker was a Domingo tomato, a variety known for producing large fruit. Busby planted the seeds on June 28th and gave them a gallon of water each day. He also used organic fertilizer, avoided pesticides, and pollinated the plants in late July. Then came the waiting.

Busby told The Lincoln County News he left the eventual record-holder on the vine as long as possible before the rain convinced him it was finally time to pick it. The result was considerably bigger than his first 3-pound effort.

The Record Could Produce Even Bigger Tomatoes

The story doesn't end with one enormous tomato. Seeds from Busby's record-setter are expected to go into next year's seed packets from the Maine Pumpkin Growers Organization. Other competitive growers will get a chance to plant its offspring.

Busby seems perfectly happy about that. He told the newspaper that one of the things he enjoys most about competitive growing is meeting other people who are willing to share what they've learned. So, Maine's newly crowned tomato king could eventually help somebody else take his crown.

Next Stop: 8 Pounds

Busby has already decided what he'd like to do next. He's aiming for an 8-pound tomato next year. First, however, there's the small matter of dealing with the 6.92-pound one currently on his hands.

He may taste some of it and give some of it to his neighbor’s chickens. That's probably reasonable. There's only so much tomato one person can put on a sandwich.

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