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Commack, NY

There's been some constructive debate going on regarding the GPC in another thread. At the suggestion of another grower,im starting a seperate thread.

If you've ever uttered to yourself "id like to see the GPC doing (insert idea here)", or any other variation of that statement, post it on this thread. Not everything can be implemented obviously, but i know that there are alot of people out there, and im sure some great ideas could come of this. In the end, its a good way to get yourself heard.

We all want to keep this civilized, so please do not turn this into a bashing thread one way or the other. Im sure the steering committee will read this, and if we all conduct ourselves like professional people i think some good things will ultimately result.

Two of the concerns that have been previously mentioned were:
1) Growers from out of state who have the ability to grow many large pumpkins hitting multiple GPC sites. The result? crushing the competition at the smaller sites, in the name of the "top grower of the year award". You could say "hey deal with it", or tough, "if you dont want to lose, then grow a bigger pumpkin". Others might say they are geographically dissadvantaged.

2) Maybe instead of paying just the grower that comes in first out of the entire GPC, a pay down to 20th, 50th, or even 100th place might give something for us mortal growers something to shoot for. The odds of your average grower winning it all are not good. Im no accountant, but if there were 60 sites and the average membership was $200, that's $12,000. I dont know what ribbons and banners cost, but there's got to be $$ left over to pay down others besides the winner. If i came in 100th place and got $10 id be thrilled that i got something, and i would feel accomplished in the fact that i was rewarded for said accomplishment.

1/6/2008 8:39:16 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I agree on all points Scott. We ALL put a lot of effort and money into this hobby. I think the biggest variable is that some of us don't have it all figured out yet...but we're working on it.

What I see is the smaller growers being weeded out of the competition due to money concerns. The cost of supplies and materials is quite exorbitant if you intend to compete at all. The "if you don't want to lose, then grow a bigger pumpkin" attitude doesn't apply when you're competing against some of the world's best year after year at your local weigh-off.

Of course there have to be some basic GPC guidelines. There would be no need for the GPC otherwise. My suggestion is to allow each weigh-off site to apply its own local rules, such as:

1. No previously weighed pumpkins(which, I think, already exists at some sites)

2. No more than two pumpkins from the same patch, regardless of who claims to have grown them

3. A geographical limitation such as a 100-mile radius(just to throw a number in there)

Say I grow six decent pumpkins. I can only weigh two at Circleville, two at Chillicothe, and two at Oakland. It's up to me which weigh-off I want to try to win, not take my ringer to them all and win everywhere.

1/6/2008 9:32:09 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

My bad. I should have stated that the GPC should make the aforementioned rules as opposed to each site.

1/6/2008 9:34:04 AM

Nicholls Georgia

if you only let a 100 mile radis weigh off that would knock out growers like me who live in ga i have got to drive 100 miles to even get to one

1/6/2008 9:51:33 AM

Ottawa, Ohio

I am also more than 100 miles from my prefered site. Even though a new site that is closer has been started I would still like to attend the weigh_off at my original club instead of the new one.

1/6/2008 10:23:50 AM

Rhode Island

the gpc did away with the miles limitation rule a few years ago to allow more sites into the club.
example in new england we have gpc sites in ri,ma,ct,me and vt --- all withing 100 to 200 miles of each other. before the rules changes there was one site in ma.

there will always be bitter feelings from some when good growers travel to different weighoffs winning and or taking prize money others thought should be theres.
hey guys thats competition. no one wants to win a rigged race do they. no.
you want to beat the best no matter where you go.
traveling to various sites is in the spirit of competition nothing more.

i agree wholeheartedly that more cash awards needs to be offered at either the individual site or gpc individual grower end of year standings,
this year there was a cut back because of the expense getting a web site started ate into any available funds

im with you that as the seasons go on the gpc should and will find new and better ways to acknowledge and reward more growers at each site.

possibly two first place cash awards at each site for
a. over all weigh off champion
b. club champion (if you have a club weighing off at the
site )
* if no club weighs off at a home gpc site then only the over all weigh off champ is rewarded

pumpkin dude -- gpc rules state you can weigh your pumpkin only once at a gpc site. a fresh pumpkin is needed if you go to more than one gpc site

pap

1/6/2008 10:58:37 AM

Colorado

The gpc voted in "no exclusion policy" so that anyone can take a fruit anywhere.Thats a idealistic premise that has its plusses and minuses.I'd like to hear from growers and especially from the sites their feelings on that rule.Its going to take a lot of dissent to change that one.

1/6/2008 11:13:02 AM

Colorado

If that open site rule was modified it would be up to the site to says whoes in and whos not

1/6/2008 11:14:28 AM

huntsburg,ohio

i think any weigh off should be open to anyone or you could have a local class and a open class why can't circleville do that?Jerry

1/6/2008 12:24:53 PM

Mulino, Oregon

The big issue here is obviously prizes. The fact that the GPC is tied to the event should have no bearing on how prize money is distributed. If sites want to have prize premiums for club members, regional growers etc.. they can do what they want. The GPC just wants to recognize pumpkins not interfer with individual sites pay/prize structures.

1/6/2008 12:40:34 PM

Colorado

the gentlemen that run circleville wont change the current rules.There getting way up there in age and rumor has it it will change when the next generation runs it

1/6/2008 12:41:39 PM

Ohio

Well , first i dont think you should put a mile rule in. Yes,its sometimes madding to get beat by a guy who is not from your local area, BUT is a member of your club. Our club rules state that to weigh-off,you have to be a member.
On the plus side,i like the competion, it makes me a better grower. And, i have met some really nice guys at the weigh-offs.Plus have learned alot from them, they are always willing to share there thoughts and ideas.
The club champion thing wont work, becauase if you pay you are a member of that club. So what are you going to do then? Say "oh sorry your from out of state you dont count".Wrong, you let them weigh. Iam a member of several clubs, a couple i could never go to because of distance, but never less iam a member.
We have 6 weigh-off sites in Ohio, out of those, i belive 3 are open to anyone, no membership needed. 2 of the clubs are member clubs OVGPG and SOGPG. The Circlville Pumpkin show has a 21 mile radius rule.
So, i guess what iam tryin to say on that point is. Just let them come. Next year our weigh-off is off a weekend from OVGPG. So iam going there and to ours.I just say bring it on OVGPG, we may lose, but ill have one hell of a good time.
Money a whole different critter.We as clubs will never have enough money to paydown to far. With trophys,ribbons,plaques and other misc. I think people dont realize how much this stuff cost. Then you have club news letters. You get the idea, i could go on for ever.

1/6/2008 12:54:42 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

I would like to see some way to be able to recognize multiple growers at one patch. Some folks try to go in the city and are limited in space, so we opt for community gardens where land is more abundant. Diarys can show who is taking care of it and how, perhaps make that a requirement. Perhaps they are eligible for ribbons and recognition but not for monetary prizes to keep it legit. Husband and wifes, brothers, father and sons, growers, that each enjoy the hobby and grow exclusively should be able to weigh off, compete, and be recognized somehow within the same weigh off.

1/6/2008 12:55:57 PM

Commack, NY

Site prize monies are the responsibility of the individual site. That being said, it would be up to the individual site to decide how those monies are distributed.

What if the site said okay, out of state growers can weigh here, but, they will not see prize money, or ribbons, however, in the grand scheme of things, weighing at our site will be a vehicle that will enable you to compete for overall gpc prizes? It keeps local prizes/money with the local growers.

1/6/2008 1:25:21 PM

Commack, NY

obviously that sort of thing would have to be disclosed, well in advance, in a public forum so that the grower who is in fact coming from miles away would be fully aware of the situation.

1/6/2008 1:26:29 PM

Colorado

some of the contests want the biggest pumpkin possible no matter who grew it.Anamosa and half moon bay are like that.

1/6/2008 1:41:06 PM

Eugene,OR

Here is my ultimate GPC idea. There would be 10 "GPC Playoff" events around North America on the first Saturday of October. At each of these sites an international shipping company specializing in overnight delivery would have a truck waiting to load up the winning pumpkin (and its grower) ande take them to a waiting airplane to a "Superbowl" location for the top fruit from each Playoff site be displayed and awarded top GPC honors the following day. The location for the "Superbowl" whould be in a location where a sponsoring company would broadcast a live TV show of the championship event. Disneyland, a big Las Vegas Casino, the headquarters of the sponsoring company, or some exotic location would be a great place to host the championship. To make the TV show more interesting there would be camera crews at each of the 10 "Playoff" weighoffs to get footage of each weighoff to incorporate into the Championship show. That would be very cool.

1/6/2008 1:45:50 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

A single set of rules will never work for all the sites. I believe the no exclusions rule is the best and only way to go. When you want to impose distance limitations keep in mind some growers don't live within that given distance to any weigh-off site. You would then eliminate that grower from any prizes at any sites before the season even started. Too bad if that grower grows a new world record.

I'm already amazed at how much money is given away by most sites. If a club wants to give special recognition to an individual or group then thats their responsibility to do so.

1/6/2008 3:14:22 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

I agree that the prize pay off should be changed some. The little guy now days never has a chance at winning anything. The top heavy hitters can travel to two or three and even four different sites on different weekends and claim first, second and third place at each weigh-off. At the end of the season could make $4,000 or more each year. This gives the better top growers more money to put into there patchs. Some sites pay $1,000 to $3,500 for first place. Now if you dropped $3,500 down to $1,000 and took the remaining $2,500 and broke it down to pay out 20-25 prize money for 2nd to twenty-fifth place, more growers would be happy they got something.Myself,I'd be happy with a small plaque for twenty-fifth place. I know of two guys who quit growing as of the end of the 2007 season because there wives complain they put so much time into there pumpkin growing, and take away from the family and they never win anything.

1/6/2008 3:34:13 PM

western PA

the HH bring thier biggest pumpkin to the site that offers the $3,500. That pushes people to grow bigger and bigger and the site that pays the most out, gets the biggest pumpkins.

1/6/2008 4:10:47 PM

Ohio

D=Reeb Ohio
i have one question. Wasnt the GPC started as a governing body? To try to make all the rules the same from weigh-off to weigh-off?

This was to keep the people from cheating,to make it fair for all of us.From site to site. They,The GPC are a group of guys that just want to see the pumpkin growing sport grow. So they set the rules, color,fruit health, how deep the cracks can be so on and so on

So i think everone is depending on the GPC to much. At least for money anyway. I say if you want rules changed or dont like the "other guys" coming in and kickin your butt. Then dont join the GPC. NO one said you had to.

You can be like the Circlville Pummpkin Show, Do it you own way! The Gpc will never please everyone, They are here to just set the guidelines for which we can run our weigh-offs

1/6/2008 4:38:16 PM

Ohio

But you know, even if you do the mile rule. You will still only have 2 or 3 guys winning the money. I think at the Circleville Pumpkin Show. In the last few years, maybe more. Only 3 guys really have taken the big money. So then your right back where you started. "why does he always win the big money, thats not fair"

So i say keep the GPC open, no mile rules. Let the clubs decide what they want. I think in the end we will all be happier.There are to many of my friends that i see at weigh-offs, that i want to keep comin back.

1/6/2008 4:44:32 PM

Rhode Island

this is a great post. lots of good suggestions and also gives growers a chance to get things off there chests

in a nut shell here is my own personal opinion.
its what our SNGPG has done since joining the gpc three years ago

any and all sngpg members are allowed to compete no matter where they are from. if a non sngpg member does show up they are allowed to join that day providing they pay the current and next years dues, no matter the size of there pumpkin. in other words all growers are welcome.

we give out a significant award for places one thru ten.
first place green squash,prettiest pumpkin and rush to flush (ugliest pumpkin award )are also available.

also 22 inch large frerichs farm ribbons for places one thru 15.

last year we also introduced "pap and joes big wheel"
while competitors pumpkin was being taken off the scale the grower got to take spin on the big wheel. everyone won prizes or cash up to $100.00.

we also gave out a bunch of halloween prizes to children in the audience. one of our sponsors bori graphix also showed up with a box full of t-shirts and we gave them out as well.

all this and then also the awards we received for distribution from the gpc.

the point im trying to make is this. you cant be afraid of competition. you cant be mad if a better pumpkin shows up outta no where . it happens all the time.
what you can do even being a gpc site is make provisions for out of town growers. you cant be a gpc site and segrate who can and cant weighoff at your site. yes if your rules state they miust be a member so be it,let them join.

if your concerned about someone from afar taking your prize money have two sets of prize monies. one for local and one for out of atate.

the main reason the growers are comming from out of atte are not just money. they are getting official weights for the gpc as well.

1/6/2008 4:55:30 PM

Hamburg, NY

Vineman Santa Rosa, CA
Here is my ultimate GPC idea. There would be 10 "GPC Playoff" events around North America on the first Saturday of October. A "Superbowl" location for the top fruit from each Playoff site would be displayed and awarded top GPC honors. The location for the "Superbowl" whould be in a location where a sponsoring company would broadcast a live TV show of the championship event. Disneyland, a big Las Vegas Casino, the headquarters of the sponsoring company, or some exotic location would be a great place to host the championship. To make the TV show more interesting there would be camera crews at each of the 10 "Playoff" weighoffs to get footage of each weighoff to incorporate into the Championship show. That would be very cool.

Vineman, I like the way you think! That's exactly where we were headed with the WPC when the incident at Topsfield happened in 1989. As many know that was the beginning of the GPC. An organization set up to, in part control "prize money". The WPC had a signed license agreement with the Topsfield Fair signed by Hugh Wiberg, as did all other sites. An even playing field for prize money was expected. It made little difference. This thread is about prize money. A properly run event could generate NFL type media and the promotional monies could do well by the growers and sponsors alike. Let everyone do their own thing, whenever they want and that will surely never happen. The 1,500 lb mark went by - don't let it happen for the 2,000 lb feat! How did the WPC award $50,000 for the first 1,000 lber? Think about it. Ray Waterman

1/6/2008 6:08:51 PM

Minnesota

I really know nothing about the gpc, I will be a 2nd year grower next year. I went to watch my 1st weighoff this year in stillwater mn. I saw money go to the winners, must be from the gpc. I did not see any trophy's handed out, must be up to the indiviual sites. I think pap & joes wheel sounds great, stillwater had games for the kids, pumpkin painting contests, a hey maze they can play in.

1/6/2008 6:54:12 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Ray although your ideas sound intriguing they are somewhat mired in your troubles of the past. Please join us then in the new promotions. I have asked you this before to recombine your efforts into those of the GPC. Examine the mission, there is no agenda other than promoting the hobby for all. Email me at anytime and we can discuss further what you envision. With 60 sites in play the GPC is burgeoning and waiting to be harvested in some type of enterprising way.

One of the GPC's new directives to be announce soon will involve folks like you who want to share ideas to further expand the hobby and provide opportunities for all growers. I acknowledge the fact that we need guys like you to help us widen the scope of the new GPC as we move beyond and into the 1 ton range.

I agree with Jim, it is time for recognition of site or group only cash awards. These can encompass the spirit of the GPC rules and still maintain the goals of the commonwealth. There will be new prizes and categories announced in the coming weeks. In fact several new changes are coming soon as details are finalized.

The financial aspect is difficult to understand for most clubs and groups. Banner's for example cost 50.00 each. In my first year I was shocked to learn of the precarious stance the GPC was in. The situation granted is much better today. We are now undertaking efforts in all sorts of avenues to help growers. Example being the provision of a GPC grant to Big Pumpkins.com and the inclusion this year of a budget for speaking engagements at the convention, something we have never had. Further the enhanced development of the new web site will help to foster openess and reduce the misconceptions that often arise from such ventures.

1/6/2008 7:13:32 PM

Ontario, Canada.

The points I'm trying to express are that the GPC is your commonwealth. Your sounding board and your level playing ground. Your pace setter and rules governing body and educational instructor. Your judge and referee. However GPC is not a handicapper able to regulate the size of pumpkins and there domains.

Every large Organization need a central body to oversee the progress of the whole. This structure is repeated over and over again in the culture of organizations throughout westernized societies. Often we may see little need for this type of modern structure but it is absolutely necessary to keep balanced the myriad of factions that exist today.

We have come a long ways from the days of the past. The GPC is now a world wide entity and soon will include all of the continents. The convention is quickly becoming our Annual General Meeting (AGM), use it and BP.com to effect change. Under the two Dave's leadership with the help of Pap and all of those former members the state of the union is sound and extremely bright. A little tweaking and we move ahead another giant step.

1/6/2008 7:40:35 PM

Colorado

I disagree with ray about the sport and big money being a plus for the hobby.How many pumpkins did the zehrs grow after they won the 50 big ones.How many free seeds did they give away and how much information did they share while they were after the big prize.I think big money will ruin the hobby.what makes pumpkin growing for many of us is the free exchange of growing techniques,exchange of seeds and common goal of growing bigger pumpkins.If you make the incentive "very large cash prizes"well lose the fun of the hobby and the big will truly get bigger.

1/6/2008 7:50:30 PM

Hamburg, NY

Russ,

I really don't know you.

Not sure what you mean by "Ray although your ideas sound intriguing they are somewhat mired in your troubles of the past."? In your next post you mention becoming 'worldwide". Perhaps you don't know that the WPC had five (5) simultaneous weigh-offs in Australia/New Zealand and one in South Africa in the mid 1980's. What "mire of trouble" are you referring to, specifically?

Ray Waterman

1/6/2008 7:53:02 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I don't like the idea of huge cash prizes. And I hope it never happens again.

1/6/2008 8:00:26 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Ray that was 18 years ago. Join us at this years convention its time to pull your anchor. I'll by the beers.

1/6/2008 8:09:57 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

Let me give you a perspective from a little guy.

The closest GPC site to me is at least 800 miles away. The only reason we have a weighoff here is because of a certain generous grower who hosts the weighoff in his own yard and even puts up prize money, quite generous when it comes out of one's own pocket. (Fortunately for him he has never had to give out the big money... he's never been beaten!)

I think we were looking at getting GPC certification, but there is no incentive for us. If any area is geographically challenged, we are. I'm not really enthusiastic about sending money off to the GPC and having no chance of getting any back.

For this reason, it might be worth considering the concept of having the GPC set rules, standards, etc., but stay out of the big money. Let the individual events set their own prize structure. I like what the SNGPG is doing, lots of fun interesting prizes... how can you beat that?

1/6/2008 8:18:24 PM

Hamburg, NY

Russ,

If you're going to paint me a color at least have the kahuna's to tell why. I don't drink.

Ray Waterman

1/6/2008 8:21:26 PM

Ontario, Canada.

"If you want to talk dirt with other people, you do that, but we're just trying to grow pumpkins." Paula Zehr said it best. Drop the past this committee was never a part of it.

1/6/2008 8:33:10 PM

Hamburg, NY

Russ,

I felt I gave a very constructive observation of true facts regarding this thread for suggestions/ideas. Not dirt talking. The thread is consistant and relative to the past. Your comment, "Ray although your ideas sound intriguing they are somewhat mired in your troubles of the past." was dirt. I didn't address any committee - I added a comment to a thread. And I applauded Vineman for his concept. A simple respectful apology is expected.

Ray Waterman

1/6/2008 9:05:00 PM

Dresden, Ohio

Just wondering if the GPC decides the night of the weigh off, or if that is up to the individual site? Thanks.

1/6/2008 9:09:49 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I agree that money can ruin things. Limiting the geographical area where pumpkins can be weighed allows growers to compete against their own kind. Hell, my goal every year is to raise a WR and, if I do, it's gonna be weighed locally-not in Rhode Island so I can rub the noses of perhaps the world's best growers in it. Not that that is the incentive of those who weigh out-of-state, but that is how it is perceived by some. Keeping weigh-offs a local event is the ticket.

I weigh every year against some of the best and losing doesn't bother me. I like to think it gives me an incentive to do better. But there are those who take things to the extreme. It's no longer a hobby to them, but a business. Kinda takes the fun out of it. This hobby started out as friendly competition among local growers.

1/6/2008 9:19:15 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

"We all want to keep this civilized, so please do not turn this into a bashing thread one way or the other. Im sure the steering committee will read this, and if we all conduct ourselves like professional people i think some good things will ultimately result." unquote.

1/6/2008 9:28:23 PM

Parker, Co

kudos to the GPC Board. They have made such great strides in the last few years. They have made lots of changes to improve the group. and look at the growth.!!! They are optimistic, dynamic.....the sky is the limit! keep up the good work! I appreciate all the hours you put in to put on the niagara event, to organize all these weigh offs, to promote pumpkin growing in so many ways! thank, cindi

1/6/2008 10:57:08 PM

Parker, Co

i mean....THANKS....from cindi
(i had my nightguard in, hence the lisp!!!) at least joe scherber would understand this!

1/6/2008 11:10:30 PM

Colorado

pumpkin guy.the contests decide on their weighoff date

1/7/2008 1:05:07 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Quote = PumpkinBrat: I agree that the prize pay off should be changed some. The little guy now days never has a chance at winning anything. The top heavy hitters can travel to two or three and even four different sites on different weekends and claim first, second and third place at each weigh-off. At the end of the season could make $4,000 or more each year. This gives the better top growers more money to put into there patchs. Some sites pay $1,000 to $3,500 for first place. Now if you dropped $3,500 down to $1,000 and took the remaining $2,500 and broke it down to pay out 20-25 prize money for 2nd to twenty-fifth place, more growers would be happy they got something.[endquote]

Pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking. If it's not about the money then why such high prize amounts for the top few? I have to add that IMO, one reason why you see the same growers in the top 10 is because once you finish in the prize money you have a well funded garden from there forward, a definate monetary advantage. That money spread out over the top 20-30 or ? would be more of an encouragement to attend a GPC weigh off and give the average grower a chance of some sort of prize wether it be money, top seeds, sponsor related items, ribbons. what have you.

[Quote= Pap]
last year we also introduced "pap and joes big wheel"
while competitors pumpkin was being taken off the scale the grower got to take spin on the big wheel. everyone won prizes or cash up to $100.00.

we also gave out a bunch of halloween prizes to children in the audience. one of our sponsors bori graphix also showed up with a box full of t-shirts and we gave them out as well.[endquote]

Beautiful!!!

1/7/2008 6:17:23 AM

Rhode Island

a "mount crushmore" type world weigh-off would be a tremendous pr move for the gpc
along the same lines as ray was thinking i to have often wondered if we ( the gpc) could pull off a major event like that.

along with sponsors,location and a major tv station covering the event you would need fresh never before weighed giants - not ones that already were weighed off in earlier competition.

easy enough to open the competition to a fixed number of gpc sites. have them send their club/sites best representative pumpkin and its grower for the "mount crushmore giant pumpkin weigh off". any money the clubs win would go toward their award programs ,etc in the future.
the grower representing his or her club gets a weekend trip paid in full.

i agree this would be a great money maker for the gpc,the clubs represented and the growers as well.not to mention the huge pr for giant pumpkin growers everywhere.

problem being whos got the time and the where with all to pull it off.
this is a major event that will take a lot of planning and coordination.

pap

1/7/2008 6:59:00 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

Hey, from a PR perspective, a world event would be awesome. Transporting all those fruits is going to cost a lot more than $12K, unfortunately.

I think it would be far too difficult to try to determine who goes and who stays. It would have to be an open event. You could set a minimum OTT measurement... but the only thing that is going to get growers to drive across the country and show up is.... you guessed it, money ($$,$$$). If the event was filmed by ESPN however, the money could be there.

Hey, you could combine it with the 'World's Strongest Man' competition!! ;-)

1/7/2008 11:59:54 AM

Eugene,OR

I think that transporting the pumpkins would be a great advertising opportunity for a company like Fed-Ex, UPS, or DHL. There are quite a few international shipping companies that could be approached. If you could have the top ten pumpkins at regional sites loaded into their vehicles, flown on their planes, etc. as part of a TV show, it would be a great advertising opportunity for them. If they could deliver a 1500 pound pumpkin overnight, they could deliver just about anything overnight.

1/7/2008 1:26:09 PM

Eugene,OR

Above I mean the top pumpkin (one) at ten different sites.

1/7/2008 2:27:13 PM

Hamburg, NY

Now you guys are starting to think! Thanks Pap! Who pays for the Superbowl Teams to travel? The sponsors. Stop giving giant pumpkin growing away and think like a promoted league. It may well all be done with satelite or internet capabilities. Sending pumpkins does cost money. Any I ever sent (and I've sent a lot of them - China, Switzerland, Germany) were paid by the sponsor. If you really want to promote this, lets talk. Russ, I spoke to Steve Jepsen at the Fallsview last March 10th about just this. I was there with an olive branch but snubbed for a meeting by all but Steve. He is a class act and the GPC is lucky to have him. I did come away from there with a great feeling after the top growers in the world had the stuff to say "thanks, Ray, for doing all you did for giant pumpkin growing"! I'm talking about Ron Wallace, Joe Jutras and Steve Connelly. People that know giant pumpkins and a whole lot more about this sport/hobby than most. I'm very proud of their jesture and it meant a great deal to me. Pap, you taught that boy well! Many others spoke kind words also. If ever I say something that cuts to the quick it's for the betterment of giant pumpkin growing. I've got a lifetime invested in it and if someone says or does something I think is wrong - I say so. If I need to say something to get people thinking, I'll do that too! Sorry, but I'm getting too old to hold back now. The time is right with the 2,000 lb mark in sight to get this ball rolling. Let's get a plan in place. I live approx. 35 miles from the Falls.

Ray Waterman

1/7/2008 9:08:18 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Ray & I did have a nice conversation about this subject. I came away inspired but so far the GPC doesn't yet have a budget for such an event. We tried to elevate the "BIG THREE" this fall but quite frankly, we were too busy GROWING pumpers to MARKET them. By the time we knew what was upon us the sand of time were gone & we needed to scramble. We now have this year in the rear view so we'll be forming sub committees to plan future events.

That Good Morning America thing has cost me personally. Just tonight I was nominated to be on our Town Council by the woman who got us the contacts with ABC. Pay backs a bitter pill. LOL

I love this idea too but I sell big, heavy, cheap stuff for a living so let me play devil's advocate for a minute....

Teams pay their own way to the Superbowl & there are only two of them. Sure there are sponsors & they pay dearly so the teams recoup those costs & then some. We don't YET have such sponsors. So this year we had to check swing on the expense side.

On 10/29 I hauled the 3 largest pumpkins in the history of the world (plus two 1500+ lbers) to Times Square for the GMA show. The growers got them to me in their own trucks at their own expense (bless their hearts). That was a reasonable expense on my behalf (donation) for a one shot deal but a grand event such as this would involve using LTL common carriers.

1/8/2008 1:02:02 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Deja Vu all over again but...

We would have to decide who would pay the (escalating) freight bill. Ten sites = ten LTL loads that would probably average $800 each so transportation for the fruit might top $10,000. One national common carrier might be able to hub the pumpers to reduce the cost but that would greatly increase the transit time & logically some of them wouldn't make it.

Don't get me wrong. I love this idea as Ray & I discussed. Dave & I have since discussed it in greater detail than I can share here but the logistics are "complex" to say the least.

We're moving this thing in the right direction but it will take time & money. One TON is on the horizon but rest assured the GPC is planning. It'll take more than seed auctions though. Sponsorship will be key to our success.

Enough rambling...the Falls await.

1/8/2008 1:02:12 AM

Eugene,OR

I used to race in a lot of triathlons around the world. For the past 20+ years I have been in the business of promoting and putting on triathlon events...and I no longer compete in triathlons, but now I make my living by promoting and putting on these events. I understand the importance of a big event being promoted by a professional event organizer/promoter, rather than an "interested volunteer." If you have a person who is making their living by putting on such an event it becomes a reasonable undertaking. For a volunteer or a volunteer organization, it stretches the limits and is very difficult to repeat year after year. I have already lived the process of developing major events and don't have the drive/need to do it all over again with pumpkin events. However, if these is someone out there who has the vision to develop a plan and the drive and determination to stick with it, I know that could be done. I also know that there could be substantial money made through the endeavor if it is done properly. The general public loves what they perceive to be a good freak show...and 1500+ pound pumpkins fit the bill quite well. The Hawaii Ironman Triathlon was first held in 1978. 18 men swim 2.4 miles, rode their bikes 112 miles, and ran a 26.2 mile marathon...a freak show. Now there are Ironman events held around the world. Today literally millions of dollars are spent in the sport by sponsors, and athletes each year. It all started with a race with 18 entrants and a small article in Sports Illustrated.

1/8/2008 1:53:01 AM