Arnold Briscoe is a Gardendale man who has grown things out of the ground his entire life. He recently unearthed a seven-pound, 27-inch-circumference turnip from his vegetable garden.

Did you do anything special to make the turnip grow that large?

The key is to not plant them too thick, or they don’t have room to grow. I also made sure to keep the garden watered in the dry season. Other than that, I didn’t do anything special. I’ve never grown anything like it. I planted everything in August, and picked the turnip earlier this week.

Do you garden much?

I was raised on a farm in Cullman County (it’s the best way to make a living), and I’ve been gardening all my life. I grow a vegetable garden every year, which is where the turnip came from. I also tend to six one-acre fields of turnips in Centerville. I raise them for deer hunting. They don’t eat the turnip bulbs, but they love the greens. I’ve also got a shooting house out there, and I just wait for them to come by.

Have you hunted all your life, too?

I work as a taxidermist.  If you were to come in my garage, you’d see about 125 trophy animals; everything from deer to polecats to squirrels to doves—I’ve got it all. It started out as a hobby, and eventually I quit my job and started doing it full time. I’ve also got a fish pond on my property that has great fishing, and I’ve won trophies for fish I’ve caught.

What are you going to do with the turnip?

Well, turnips are about $1.09 a pound right now, so I’d probably get a good price for it! I play bingo at the Gardendale Senior Center on Mondays and I call the games on Thursdays. I carried the turnip up to the senior center the other day, and everyone was crowding around it. I’m thinking about giving it away as a bingo prize.

Tell us about your family.

My wife’s name is Doris, and we have three kids: Two boys and a girl. Between them, I have six grandkids and four great-grandkids.