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Rhode Island

well saturday certainly was a strange day at frerichs farm.

we had a tremendous turn out, beautiful weather, many very nice pumpkins, an expected winner falling into the ranks of the disqualified, a second place finisher moving into the championship catagory and, everyone else moving up a knotch in the final standings.

i know there has been a lot of scuttlebutt surounding the actual pumpkins measurement vs the connoly method of taping.
the pumpkin did weigh spot on to a conventional taping. as many growers said to me saturday? hey id like to have it in my patch. and so would pap.

steve did what he thought best to bring media attention to his club and weigh off site, so for that pap and his fellow directors owe him a big thank you.

having to do it all over again in the future im sure steve would handle the media and his taping methods much differentl.

the unfortunate part of all though was to have what turned out to be the biggest pumpkin grown in the world for 2008 go down to a pin whole spitting an almost invisible thread of a leak. it cost steve the world championship and an orange coat at niagara next march in the process.

steve- you go gettum next year and thank you for bringing that monster to your own clubs weigh off. you could have done differently.

pap

10/13/2008 6:38:22 PM

Kalamazoo, MI ([email protected])

Well said Pap...

10/13/2008 6:41:16 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

wow I couldn't of said it better.

10/13/2008 7:55:02 PM

sngpg best club ive ever belonged to ive learned alot from you guys over last few years had a bit of a down year myself here but hopefully things turn around 09 . steve you grew biggest pumpkin it looks like anywere in world this year i cant imagine how it feels to have it get hole or what ever day of weighoff that hurts

10/13/2008 7:59:14 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Steve, and ALL

Thanks for the great year....the future lies ahead....and thank you all for giving us a glimpse of the excitement to come.....Growing BIG haZ never been better......We have everything to GAIN......GrowZem BIG.......

10/13/2008 9:15:33 PM

Colorado Springs.Co

Steve it still had to be exciting through the summer, watching that slunger go. It was a beauty.

10/13/2008 11:17:55 PM

Southeast Texas

why dont steve come on here and tell me what happened,i would repect that more than pap taking up for him.i'm a second year grower that respects what you grew and iwant ever grow nothing close to what you have grown steve,but i'll still try next year,but dont turn me off to this hobby by lying,because i no how to measure a damm pumpkin. if ya'll dont like what i said, here's my email adress ya'll let me know, [email protected] i'm sorry thats the way i feel

10/14/2008 12:15:52 AM

Colorado

steve c. was one soft spot away from being world champion.He loyally took that fruit to his clubs weighoff.Had he gone to a earlier contest who knows.I'd cut the man some slack.

10/14/2008 12:57:10 AM

Colorado Springs.Co

Paul, Once you have been here for awhile you will gain respect for pap. He is a knowledgable grower who is very helpful to all of us. I'm sure you didn't mean disrespect and that is just the way you speak. Dave

10/14/2008 1:34:24 AM

Carrollton, Ga.

paul you are way wrong. if you read the other post steve did explain what happen.

also if he had of gone to an earlier weigh off his pumpkin would of been fine.

Doug
Jn 3 :16

10/14/2008 3:02:55 AM

Cochecton, NY

I agree with shaker! pap is a very knowledgable man who's advice saved my season multiple times this year. I am a first year grower and jumped into this last minute knowing nothing. I woke up one day and said, " I want to grow a giant pumpkin!". So I attempted that. No soil tests, store bought AG seeds, some chicken poop and lots of hard work to make sure things did not fall apart. My PB for this year 303#. My goal was 300#. Without paps advice that PB probably would have been 100#. As for Steve! I don't think a second year grower should give him any crap! He has been growing a while and I feel that he does not need to explain himself to the rookies! Sorry! That's how I feel!

10/14/2008 6:41:47 AM

Dillsburg, PA

Measuring a pumpkin can be tricky. I had trouble measuring mine and it was only 800lbs. Give the guy a break. You guys are making this into a big deal when it isn't. Paul you ever measure a 1500lb pumpkin?

10/14/2008 7:36:25 AM

Rhode Island

our sngpg team goal was as always is to be the top ten average winner in the gpc. that went out the window when we disqualified steves fruit. another kick in the teeth for sure.

disqualifing a fellow pumpkin growers entry is never an easy thing to do, much less a good frirnd. ya almost want to close your eyes but you cant. reputation once spoiled in this hobby is very difficult to regain. we did the right thing.

thanks to everyone for supporting steve with your kind comments. im sure he feels bad enough without sticking any spears in him.

pap

10/14/2008 7:59:43 AM

Coventry R.I.

I Aggree with Shaker,,, Totally

10/14/2008 9:08:28 AM

Port Alberni, BC, Canada

First of all, congratulations to Steve, Joe and Thad for growing these huge monsters. 422, 429 and 428 OTT - WOW. It is a miracle that ANY pumpkin that size stay in one piece. Most longer time growers have been in Steve's position. It just plain sucks. We've also been in Joe's and Thad's position where the pumpkins have come up light. Not quite as hard a kick in the gut but it's still disappointing. Life goes on. We go back to the drawing board and try again next year.
My two (Canadian) cents worth. Jake

10/14/2008 11:37:33 AM

Commack, NY

This is a great group, and everyone is really handling this well. I think some are being rubbed the wrong way by certain things...forget the 15 minutes of fame, this was more like 3 hours worth, and it was BEFORE the fruit was even anywhere near a scale. I understand publicity, but come on, going on tv multiple times?, talking world records? Internet, newspapers.......yada yada yada. I cant even tell you how many people said something to me about it. 1800 pounds this and 1800 pounds that, and its still growing etc. Then we find out that it was being measured incorrectly? People don't expect this sort of thing from a seasoned grower. This isn't Steve's first rodeo. Look at past world record holders.....Jutras, Wallace, Stelts, the Checkons, Emmons, Daletas.......none of them did anything like this, let alone PRIOR to the fruit being weighed. I absolutely hope that some day i grow a fruit that big, and i have a tremedous amount of respect for the effort that it took, but there's a certain amount of decorum that is expected from the person in that position that i think some believe fell way short. Pap, i think it's a great thing that you are taking up the torch for Steve. At this point it seems we all know what happened, but nobody's saying "im sorry i did that, i should have known better". I know we all feel bad that the fruit didnt weigh what we thought it would and that it was dq'd, but that doesnt change what was done prior to the weighoff, and i think that's what's putting some people off.

10/14/2008 12:00:09 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Scott, I guess you missed an earlier posting by Steve, where he is quoted;

"I posted some pic's of the 1568dmgConnolly08. both whole and after she was cut open in the photo gallery. It had a small rot spot under the stem. The DQ was the right decision. Luckily 95% pritene inside though, so the seeds are good.
It was a cube. a square pumpkin. Never grown one like it before, so I experimented with a new measurment technique. I took a circumference 198" around the normal but because of the Massive Square Shoulders, my FB was taken diagonally to the largest corners of the square pumpkin and SS was taken perpindicular (90 degrees)to the FB measurement. Sorry.... I learned a hard lesson about tinkering with the measurement technique. I thought that since the normal method equates to taking the largest SS and FB measurments, that I would get the best readings using my measurments on a Cube pumpkin. When Ken Desrosiors measured it using the normal measurment technique at Frerichs he told me it taped out to a 1569 pound pumpkin. 1 hour later it got weighed and he was right. Right on chart weight. I will never tamper with Stellflugs GPC recognized, method again."

10/14/2008 12:10:34 PM

[email protected]

I'd like to add my 2 cents on this, I too felt the disapointment as did most everyone else.
What did I learn from this, First off, Steve is very loyal to his club, He waited for their own weighoff, A week sooner and their would have been no problems.
Secondly and I think the most important thing that happened, The sngpg were more than honest with what happened, They very well could have left well enough alone and weighed the fruit, said it was 18% light.
But instead put their cards on the table, and did, what I believe was very honorable.
So bottom line, The Sngpg, are honest and loyal, as are most pumpkin growers. That's what I love about this sport.
Also 1569, Geeze, what a tremondous acomplishment, considering it was one of the toughest growing years we've had.
Eddy

10/14/2008 2:01:24 PM

Waquoit Mass

after doing this for fifteen years and knowing the players i will make this comment and take from it what you will,"when the stakes are the highest the true character of a person will come thru." this relates to life and pumpkins lol dam im gettin deep hamr

10/14/2008 3:50:32 PM

Steve says: "I thought that since the normal method equates to taking the largest SS and FB measurments, that I would get the best readings using my measurments on a Cube pumpkin."
(not directed at ANYONE):
There it is, for me anyway (anyweigh)...
you may notice the word LARGEST, referring to the measurements we are SUPPOSED to take when measuring,
as those are the ones that were used to conjure-up the
beloved charts over the years. i usually feel a little
GUILTY when protocol dictates that i am to use the LARGEST
measurements on my pumpkins as i go 'round them with the
tape. but, that is what we are supposed to do. i avoid the valleys between the ribs, only go as far as to the surface
of the material the fruit is resting on for the EE and SS measurements, (what IS 'FB'?) and try my best to tape through the same spots every time. this year i measured only once, well, for obvious reasons. not a stellar year.
anyway, i have not looked yet but how many 1569-pounders are there out there this year?
not enough to find any fault with,
unless judged by the GPC, that's for sure. eg

10/14/2008 4:01:18 PM

i think i got it:
FB=front-to-back
EE=end-to-end
same thing, depending on direction. eg

10/14/2008 4:05:19 PM

Commack, NY

i actually did see that post, and i agree, he owned up to measuring it incorrectly. And the SNGPG put there butts on the line and came out with the truth...all highly commendable attributes and i tip my cap to them as individuals and as an organization....having said that, i look to past champions and how they conducted themselves prior to weighoffs, and there is just a huge difference here. I'm sure the media played it up, but if you really dont want to do interviews, then you dont do them. It didnt look to me like he was under duress.

10/14/2008 4:16:56 PM

Seattle, WA

I think overall, you have to look at it as a positive in regards to the excitement and publicity for the sport as a whole. Personally, I enjoyed the media reports and seeing pics of the pumpkin. I got online on Sunday just to check and see if the results were posted.

I'm sure everyone would have handled the situation differently, and it's much easier too look back in hindsight than when you're in the moment. I don't know Steve personally, but from what I've read on here and seen from the media, he seems to me like a very upstanding and honorable grower who grew a very large pumpkin this year. With the weather this year and all the struggles I read about on here, it seems like quite an accomplishement to me.

If this sport is going to grow, people are going to have to talk about their pumpkins a bit more to reach out to the general public, rather than sandbag it up until the weigh off.

Just my 2 cents!

10/14/2008 4:44:37 PM

Bristol,RI,USA.

I would like to say that I could not be prouder of my friend Steven and all of my bothers in the SNGPG. Steven has always been a heavy hitter he has won Topsfield, the SNGPG weigh off and many other weigh offs along the way! THANK YOU to all who support him and my brothers of the SNGPG .I would also like to say, thank you to Dave Stelts who was present this weekend it was the first time we have met, he is a gentleman and a true advocate of the sport! My question is what the hoopla is about, like any big prize fight or super bowl the hype leading up to the event is what it is all about!!! Steve put Frerich Farm on the map again and the SNGPG did not let the crowd est. at 3000 by the local paper down! It was a great show!!!!!! With lots of giant pumpkins and the out come you ask? The sport has proven it has a strict set of rules. And the integrity of what we do in the sport has been lifted to a higher level! Again I will say I AM proud of the GPC, Steven and the SNGPG I look forward to competing next year with my brothers and the world!!

Calcubit

10/14/2008 6:15:28 PM

[email protected]

All involved thought that the extra publicity was good for the sport overall. No one is accusing Steve of trying to fabricate the measurements. He did his best with an oddly shaped pumpkin. Let's face it, we ALL get different measurements once the fruit is sitting on a pallet.

10/14/2008 6:22:22 PM

No Place Special

Steve prob woke up saturday morning expecting one of the best days of his life. Unfortunately it became one of his worst. Im sure he is STILL sick to his stomach over all this. I seriously doubt he did that intentionally. Give him a break. Hold your head high Steve, you did nothing wrong. I enjoyed reading and seeing "the beast from the east" in the media. Id love to shake your hand and buy you a beer. Congrats on one heck of a monster!!!

Mike Frantz

10/14/2008 8:56:05 PM

Lymington UK

Hey Steve
Ditto what mike said, if it was not dmg you would be right at the top of the GPC board and that would be amazing. Stuart and I would both like to buy you a beer as well.

10/15/2008 7:35:15 AM

Somers, CT

Steve, sorry to hear of your loss. Steve is a friend, a mentor and a damn good grower. I would even like to see him at the Big E again even if I finally do get to bring a fruit and he kicks my butt. Let us know when the Letterman explosion segment is going to air.

10/15/2008 9:18:33 AM

Darfield, British Columbia, Canada

I agree with Mike as well. The best things that came out of this is that there is more publicity for the sport and now there will be some seeds from a monster pumpkin so put some more genetics into it and the right pollinator will fill the inside of that pumpkin up. Will be a great cross for next season.

10/15/2008 10:12:51 AM

Sharon, MA

Thanks for all the supporting comments. My family and I really appreciate it. I feel like posting my home address so I can take up all these offers of free beers. Then I would be set for the winter. One last hurdle to get over. I have no idea what the TV editors will do, but Katie Curic, Steve Hartman and the CBS crew told us they would do a recap of the Frerichs Farm weigh-off on 10/31/08 Halloween night on the nightly News, because of the media feeding frenzy on the story. Then I'm going to hibernate for the winter and watch the cover crops grow in my patch.

10/15/2008 12:56:16 PM

Taylorsville, California

Nice job Steve and an incredible achievement! And a great job by the sngpg in doing whats right,integrity lost is hard to regain,, theres always next year and I think we could all use some better weather! What Jake, Steve and Thad did this season was unbelievable and I feel lucky to have witnessed it firsthand!
Auston

10/15/2008 4:01:26 PM