by Angela Sanford
Alex Benedict, a 10-year-old gardening enthusiast from the Windsor area, and family ties to Minasville, is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest turnip. Hailing from a family of passionate vegetable growers, Alex has been growing oversized produce since he was little, inspired by his father’s love of gardening. “This is one of the largest we’ve ever grown,” Alex said about the massive turnip he and his dad have been nurturing together. Alex shared that watching the daily growth of his vegetables and seeing people’s amazed reactions to the oversized turnip have been some of the most rewarding aspects of the experience.
However, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Weather poses the biggest challenge for Alex’s gardening projects. “If our soil gets too wet, our pumpkins take in too much water and explode,” Alex explained. “Smaller vegetables handle the rain better” and he jokingly admitted that if his turnip could talk it might say, “You like getting me wet all the time?”
In addition to turnips, Alex has grown a variety of giant vegetables, including pumpkins, squash, cabbages, and beets. Looking to the future, Alex is eager to experiment with growing giant leeks, inspired by growers in England who have even sent him seeds to try.
While Alex is confident in his world record attempt, he admits the turnip’s taste might not win any culinary awards. “I don’t think this turnip would taste good. We grew it with poop. I wouldn’t want to eat it,” he confided.
Alex’s hard work and dedication haven’t gone unnoticed. His giant vegetables have already won awards at local exhibitions and within the Annapolis Valley Vegetable Growers club. Now, his sights are set on his current turnip, which he hopes will break the world record. After applying to Guinness World Records in October 2024, Alex and his family patiently waited for 13 weeks for approval. To keep the turnip alive, they had to dig it up in December and move it indoors, ensuring it remained in top condition.
For now, Alex eagerly waits to see how much his turnip weighs. Whether it sets a world record or not, Alex is already proud of how much fun and hard work went into growing it. When asked how he might celebrate if he wins, Alex’s response was full of determination: “We’ll be so happy, but we’ll keep trying to beat our own records.”
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