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So. Maine

I thought that would get your attention . Well it's happened for the first time in over 21 years of growing giants. In the middle of one of our dry spells a little over a week ago someone made the effort to deny me my rights to pump water to the giant pumpkin patch and my field pumpkins by Vandalizing my big diesel water pump during the night and in the process ran over 4 sets of aluminum irrigation pipe . I cannot go into any detail at this time as an investigation is ongoing .

Was whoever responsible for the vandalization another giant pumpkin grower ? Maybe , maybe not and I certainly hope NOT as I cannot fathom a giant pumpkin grower being responsible for such a thing . But the manner in which it was done opens up the possibility .

I was able to install new parts on the pump the same day the damaged was discovered and repaired all the pipes and I pumped water to the fields later in the afternoon . Not fun when the leaves were flagging pretty hard .

Anyway, I was wondering if any other growers has ever had to deal with vandals while growing giants and weather or not another grower was ever involved .

So YES , whoever comes forward with the information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the pump and pipe damage will be awarded the $ 500.

AL Berard

7/18/2011 1:36:57 AM

Muddy Waters

Most likely scrapers after the metal,I borrowed a german Shephard for the summer!Vandals,wood chucks,deer,should slow
them all down.Im putting Dog on a running cable!no entry without meeting dog!!

7/18/2011 6:18:16 AM

Albert County, New Brunswick,CANADA

Sorry to hear your story. I had my pumpkin stabbed last year and for a very quiet area since day one,I thought I had no enemies...but there is no way to know how giant pumpkins work on peoples brains....but for some apparently, it turns them into the bad seed that they are. It took me a while to simmer down(even still),so don't feel like you have a problem. You did nothing wrong. A dog may help you redirect your anger.

7/18/2011 8:03:10 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Al, if you find them, lets have an arse beating party!

7/18/2011 8:36:17 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

Thats just wrong. I really grow tired of jerks that steal,destroy or otherwise cheat others out of their property. Last year during the greriches farm weigh off. I had donated my pumpkin to the farm. They put it off to the side for later display. I was gonna clean up the fruit when I noticed the name "kyle" carved into the skin of the pumpkin. No doubt done by an unsupervised child. I gotta say I was mad. I had devoted so much time in growing this pumpkin only to have some unsupervised child damage it. I understand kids will be kids but adults have to be adults....when you devote a season and money,stress and all the other things, you'd like to have people respect it as you have. Al, I hope you find to half a brain doofus that did that and I hope they get what the law allows.

7/18/2011 8:43:15 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

Another thing.......what would give somebody the ambition to do such a cowardly act? If I caught them in .y patch...watch out.

7/18/2011 8:46:04 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

sorry to hear that Al.

Time to set up a deer camera.

7/18/2011 12:46:11 PM

bliss,n.y.- heart of Wyoming County

Al-
Iam very sorry to hear that. Last year my patch was visited by punks with roundup.Some people have no respect!
What cowards!
BP

7/18/2011 12:51:28 PM

Albert County, New Brunswick,CANADA

Roundup...wow!

7/18/2011 1:02:08 PM

Stanwood, Washington

Some one stole a Pumpkin out of my patch last year. when it was at about 50 lbs. Probabbly just the neighborhood kids up to shenannegins. Vandalizing a pump house though seems like a much more purposeful act. Someone is probabbly upset with your operation for some reason or another. neighbors can get bent out of shape over the strangest things.

7/18/2011 1:56:58 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

i had a little run in last year with the neighborhood kids (teens) and i told them what would happen if i caught them in the patch messing around with things i now have 6 neighbors that are my security system they report all entrys in to the patch to me dirrectly on my cell.

7/18/2011 2:45:14 PM

Al, sorry to hear that. Something I have worried about from time to time. I suspect it IS just a matter of time, given someone stole a display fruit I had on the corner a few years back.

Time to install game cameras around the patch, I guess.

7/18/2011 6:27:04 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

bass pro shop has a deer cam on sale this week for 50 bucks

7/19/2011 8:43:41 AM

Albert County, New Brunswick,CANADA

A motion light is even cheaper if there is electricity available.

7/19/2011 9:31:39 AM

Westford, MA

Cam's on sale for $50?!?!?

What's HE been slacking on the weeding of that "Greenie"??

7/19/2011 10:05:31 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Back in the early 90's I had a 300 + pounder taken off my porch....had to be some football players...as it took 3 of us males to put it on the porch. .....only lasted one night.....I was bummed...so I had to grow them bigger to keep them from being stolen....

Al I hope you find them and get your stuff back@!

7/19/2011 11:14:46 AM

Glosta

had post season vandals roll my 881 in the street, considering i live on a 35mph rural highway where people drive 50 it could have been very bad. The police pushed it out of the street with an suv.

Sorry to hear of your troubles Al. I hope you catch the responsible party.

7/19/2011 11:38:46 AM

ordinary,VA

sorry to hear about that Al,hope you catch them punks and make them pay.

7/19/2011 8:43:00 PM

The best punishment, after some stiff fines, complete restitution, and some additional restitution for the stress and anxiety you've endured; would be to make the offenders bathe in rotten pumpkin goo for a month. Maybe have to launder their bed linens in it as well.

7/20/2011 11:47:39 AM

Massillon, Ohio

yikes soooo sorry that happened to you al. hope they catch 'em. but if they are like the police around here, well let's just say you'd rather have barney fife doing the investigating because they certainly cant solve crimes like vandalism and robberies.

7/21/2011 10:17:37 PM

43.841677 , -79.086692

No way it was a pumpkin grower. As one myself I can think of many ways to end your season with a lot less work. This was done by a low life.
I have had some problems at my property even with cameras. I have learned that cameras are useless for prevention unless you have signs saying they are there. Since I put signs up, not a single incident.
This is very low on the police priority list and rightfully so.

7/22/2011 9:38:07 PM