ELK GROVE – A Canadian farmer has won a California contest with a record-setting 1,536.5-pound pumpkin.

Jake van Kooten of Port Alberni, British Columbia, collected $9,219 in prize money Saturday at the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin & Harvest Festival. That's $6 for every pound of the massive gourd.

Van Kooten said he left Thursday to drive the giant pumpkin down from Vancouver Island.

A spokesman for the festival, Steve Capps, said Van Kooten's entry set a new California record by one pound. The old record of 1,535.5 pounds was set last year.