Jacob Maier News Today

Steam rose from the tops of grills with smoke occasionally rolling out into downtown Lodi on Sept. 16, as barbecue chefs opened the lids of their grills to prepare competition-level

The pumpkin, all 1,672 pounds of it, was dropped into a kid’s swimming pool, while the 1,429 pound squash -- a Minnesota state record for such a vegetable -- crushed a Geo Metro car. It’s part of an annual event in Lancaster, Minn., a short drive northeast of Hallock, to raise money for the charity.

The pumpkin, all 1,672 pounds of it, was dropped into a kid’s swimming pool, while the 1,429 pound squash -- a Minnesota state record for such a vegetable -- crushed a Geo Metro car. It’s part of an annual event in Lancaster, Minn., a short drive northeast of Hallock, to raise money for the charity.