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Rhode Island

IM PUTTING A VIRTUAL DREAM TEAM TOGETHER IN MY PATCH AND WANT THE FOLLOWING GROWERS TO PARTICIPATE. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER HERES MY GROWER LIST.
THEY MADE THE CUT FOR A COUPLE REASONS. EXCELLENT WEIGHTS OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, EXPENDED TOTAL EFFORT EVERY YEAR, EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE.CHANCES FOR SUCCESS IF THEY HAD ONLY ONE PLANT TO TEND.
THERE ARE OTHERS DESERVING AS WELL. TOUGH TO JUST NAME TEN BUT HERE GOES.NO DISRESPECT INTENDED TO ANYONE.

1. QUINN WERNER this guy could grow in gravel
2. JOE JUTRAS at it until dark - every night
3. DAVE STELTS driven to suceed
4. JIM SHERWOOD laying in the weeds ready to pounce
5. RON WALLACE never say die attitude - relentless
6. STEVE DALETAS growing is a family affair - humble
7. JIM KUHN knows his competition/checks a lot
8. AL EATON still has juice to go all out
9. JOE PUKOS outta the woodwork in october
10.CRAIG WEIR most successful one plant grower - ever

NOW THIS WOULD MAKE A GREAT PANEL/O@A FOR THE NEXT SEMINAR AT NIAGARA
WHO WOULD YOU WANT FOR YOUR VIRTUAL GARDEN OF GROWERS?

THANKS PAP

5/26/2009 7:25:53 AM

Southeast

Give me good dirt. I need a handicap with my fusarium. Yet I hit 1002. Can I get at least a mention ? Dave

5/26/2009 9:14:54 AM

Waquoit Mass

no

5/26/2009 9:48:30 AM

Waquoit Mass

you need to sell your house and buy another. thats what ron w. did, thats where the relentless comes in .

5/26/2009 9:50:19 AM

Minnesota

1. Jesus-miracle worker
2. Pap- has a sense of humour and you need it growing pumpkins.
3. Warnock-held the record for 80 years, he's got to know what he's doing.
4. Dill-put giant pumpkin growing on the map, need his dedication.
5. Joe Jutras-what can you say, he has the current world record.
6. Knauss-knows how to make pollinators, 898 is one hell of a proven pollinator.
7. Quinn Werner- grew all those giant pumpkins last year, over 1,000, 1,300 all were different seeds- he was able to do that with diffeerent some unproven seeds,is amazing.
8. Joe Pukos- Knows how to make world record breaking seeds.
9. Larry Checkon- grew the largest pumpkin in the world- not heaviest but the biggest.
10. Bobier- Has made great seeds in the past and continues to do so.

5/26/2009 12:38:21 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Many great choices listed.
A few others I'd consider.
J.D. from Alaska. Has grown over 1000 lbs. in a very challenging environment. He has demonstrated the drive to succeed.
Kevin Marsh....he must be doing something right, as he always seems to grow a bunch of monster pumpkins.
Chad Revier....has had great success right out of the gate. He didn't seem to need the learning curve many of us do.
Dan Bowles....his growing environment sounds challenging as well. Like Chad, he has done very well from the start. If he gets a close to ideal growing season, watch out!

5/26/2009 12:51:14 PM

Midway, UT

Some pretty good growers on these lists. How about Thad Starr? Only two other growers can boast two pumpkins over 1,500 pounds so he has to make any list. Some people may leave him off a list because he hasn't grown a ton of years but I'd rather take a high energy, young gun who is consistently popping the big ones than some old guy who is just figuring it out.

Not everybody would know him but I'd put Joe Scherber on my dream team. What other grower can boast state champion 7 of the last 10 years? He grows in a tough enviroment like J.D. from Alaska so you may not see 1,500 pounders next to his name but if he was in the orange belt everyone would be talking his name.

5/26/2009 2:00:52 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

I think there should be reginal top 10 growers.

East coast,
West coast,
South,
Mid west Plain states,
Mid West mountain states Utah boys and Colorado boys etc.
Great lakes region,
Europe,
Austrailia/Newzealand,
Candian, and Alaska/russia

5/26/2009 2:36:57 PM

Oklahoma State Record Holder

What I'm not on the list?!?! Heck I grew a 460 lber last year. LOL

Maybe my second year will be even better. :)

5/26/2009 4:51:48 PM

Oklahoma State Record Holder

I think the regional list is a good idea. But the problem I see is the list of growers is New England is bigger, than the rest of the areas combined.

I only know of 4 or 5 growers in the whole state of Oklahoma.

5/26/2009 4:54:11 PM

Colorado Springs.Co

What about Docs pounds per sq Ft

5/26/2009 7:34:24 PM

Ohio

Tough to choose, but off the top of my head (and maybe with a few spelling errors) Id pick this team.

Werner
Steve Jepsen(the teams professor)
Jerry Rose
Larry Checkon
Dave Stelts
Joe Pukos
Alan Gibson
Tim Parks
Doc Liggett
Dan Kirts
Todd Skinner

5/26/2009 7:49:05 PM

Johnstown, Ohio

There are a lot of great choices out there, here are some more...
Brett Hester would be in my list...makes some mighty fine seed stock!
Nic Welty too...incredible drive and knowledge of genetics!
Mike Nepereney, to keep track of it all!

If I could, Buddy Conley and Fred Calai...two of the nicest there ever was, and great growers to boot! God rest their souls!

5/26/2009 8:27:51 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Quinn DOES grow in gravel. And I second Dr. Bob being in the top ten. Very driven man.

5/26/2009 9:17:49 PM

[email protected]

1. Quinn Werner (LeBron James of our sport)
2. Ron and Dick Wallace (Gotta have both!)
3. Larry and Gerry Checkon (2 years worth of Worlds largest)
4. Doc Liggett - Foremost in Mycho Fungi.
5. Steve Jepsen - You want to know something in the fungal/pesticide end, this is your man.
6. Glenn Andrews - GOtta have a green representative so I pick "G".
7. Andy Wolf - Not many spend as much time in their state organization and GPC combined as Andy does.
8. Dave Stelts - THe main man, the big cheese, the head honcho, the king of the hill - A - #1....
9. Joe Jutras - Still the man with the biggest fruit, period.
10. Al Eaton - Biggest pumpkin stat man we have run into and definitely the best Canadian grower of all time, period.
Honorable mentions:
Joe Pukos, Craig Lembke, Randy and Deb Sundstrom, and Jerry Rose.

Lifetime acheivements: Kirk Mombert, Tony Ciliberto, Bill Greer, Jim Kuhn, Len Knauss, Bill Bobier, Alan Nesbitt, Pete and Cindy Glasier, Brett Hester, and Paul Handy.

5/26/2009 9:32:54 PM

Rhode Island

lets face it . a post like this makes us all realize just how many very very good growers are out there. everyone mentioned could be in my virtual patch and i would not complain

5/27/2009 7:34:13 AM

Ohio

Yea, hard to choose for sure.

5/27/2009 9:01:43 AM

Netherlands, Rotterdam

Don't forget Brad Wursten, THE Squash grower from Europe.

Sebas

5/27/2009 2:58:26 PM

Sequim, WA

Lot's of good options for a fantasy patch tending team. Two I know I wouldn't do without that haven't been metioned yet are Joel Holland and Jake VanKooten. I'd take vacation all summer long if I could get either of those guys to watch the patch for me.

5/27/2009 3:34:51 PM

milford, CT,

What about Thad Starr..the man has done an amazing job in only a few years ...How has he blown through the learning curve from year one????

5/27/2009 4:39:45 PM

Ohio

You got that right Tiller!!

There is more then 30 to 40 (great)growers out there I would trust watching my patch while on vacation.
Everytime I think of some more great growers that I should have mentioned, 2 or 3 more pop up , lots of great ones out there.

5/27/2009 8:27:20 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Agreed with Brooks...so many greats!!

Tiller...thanks for mentioning the Pacific Northwest Boyz...there are also a bunch others from this region too that would do well anywhere they grew.

5/27/2009 9:47:37 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

Captains dream team

1) Marc Sawtell

2) Mike Sickemore

3) Lonmont pete

4) Will worman

5) Lave

6 Kenny Blair

7) Utah grower

8) Utah grower

9) Ron Hoffman

10) Me and dad

11) Biz
yep RMGVG club memebers

5/27/2009 10:15:56 PM

Minnesota

O'K, I take that back, I'll take all the st'croix growers association growers and give the other teams a 500 pound handicap.

5/27/2009 10:29:03 PM

Waquoit Mass

i read this post with amazement,wating to see the name jack larue.as i read many of the other undeserving names it reminded me why im retired from this hobby. hamr

5/28/2009 8:46:52 AM

Flowery Branch, Georgia

Who is the only married couple who
each broke the World Record?

I have not seen Todd Kline's name mentioned he also
has the Canadian record for his year.

5/28/2009 5:04:52 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

i read this post with amazement and think about all the wonderful friendships that have formed over such a short time. it reminded me of why i'll never retire from this hobby. andy

5/28/2009 8:27:33 PM

[email protected]

Bob,
Larry and Gerry CHeckon. Two great growers, two great ambassadors, and two great people to boot.

The amazing part to this threas is that someone actually got angry because a name or 3 got left off. Each person, each region, each personality has thier own likes and dislikes. Pap chose his, I chose mine and others chose theirs. If they want the LaRues, the Klines, etc then submit your list. sheesh...

Andy H said it best... Read above..

5/28/2009 9:35:54 PM

Tinykinville

I would like to add in don young and the Mckies

5/29/2009 1:29:40 AM