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On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I have been growing pumpkins for well over 30 years. My first one was 35 pounds weighed on a bathroom scale. The sight of a huge pumpkin puts me in awe. Awhile back, I helped get the PGPGA started. At that time a 700 pound pumpkin was huge. What a thrill it was to watch Tony Ciliberto unload his huge saran wrapped pumpkin. I know I was not in at the very beginning, but maybe more toward the middle. Prizes were small at the time. There were only a few weighoff sites. There was no BP.com. Few were on the Internet. The best information available was in Don Langevin's books. People were all excited every time a new edition came out. My goal was always to grow a 1000 pound pumpkin. I have done that and have since stopped growing pumpkins because of how demanding it is and because of the size of my garden space and due to the pumpkin setbacks I suffered, mostly stem splits. I grow tomatoes now. I have watched the GPC grow into what it is today. People began to sell seeds, not just clubs and, of course, Howard Dill, whereas they had always been free for the asking. Howard, the patent holder, always approved. I have seen the escalation of prize amounts. I have watched the "seed wars." I watched as growers took big pumpkins to many weighoff sites, not just their home site, and over and over again took first place and the big dollars that came with it, while the more local growers did not even get a ribbon. I don't know if all of this is good or bad. But, if we are on the right track, why am I not smiling?

11/10/2011 9:08:52 AM

canal winchester ohio

Your not smiling because your absolutely correct. Greed ruins everything.

11/10/2011 10:35:34 AM

Cedar City, Ut

'here here'

11/10/2011 12:18:22 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

The Anamosa weighoff site recognized many years ago the need to keep the local growers involved and recognized for their efforts. We get entries from a large area; 4 different states this year and the winner came from Minnesota. One of the local banks gives a $500 prize to the largest pumpkin grown in the state of Iowa. J&P Cycles sponsors the Jones County grower awards and provides plaques for the top three gourd and watermelon entries, plaques for the top 5 pumpkin entries and cash prizes for the top 3 pumpkins from Jones County. This year I was pleased to see a home schooled teenager and my college student son get local cash prizes, and it didn't hurt my feelings to get the top local prize myself. Yes, they have increased the cash prizes in an attempt to lure a world record to Anamosa, but that in iteself is an incentive for the local growers. Maybe other sites could look at similar awards too.

Jacob and I don't spend a lot on our hobby, as medical expenses have eaten up our extra cash. But we don't let that stop us and we keep on trying. Except for a couple seeds bought at the weighoff in 2004, one purchase from Howard Dill in 2005, and a couple entries in Marty Schnicker's small weighoff raffle, all of our seeds come for the price of bubble envelopes and postage. We get free manure from farmer friends, fertilizer and pesticides on clearance or free at the Cedar Rapids solid waste swap shop. I buy my garden tools at garage sales. I get a lot out of just competing with my son and my own personal best. In 2007 when our patch was wiped out by disease, no one was smiling wider than me to see Don Young's 1662, except maybe for Don. Maybe some day I will have the funds to go "whole hog" in the hobby, but until then I will keep on doing my best and enjoying the ride.

11/10/2011 1:44:13 PM

San Diego

I have restrained myself from posting up until this point as there has been a lot of things said over many topics. I have grown for 11 years, some of you know my original screen name as "duster", now team faith. In all of my years, I have only gone to a weigh off once, this year. I never grew for any prize money, just the love of growing in God's great earth and seeing how big a pumpkin can get in my garden.

With all of the club "issues", seed auctions, seed, counts, selling seeds, etc I think people need to relax and just enjoy the hobby. It is turning into a power issue and who can control what. I think this 2000 lb quest is over blown and there is too much stress put on clubs and organizations for high prize amounts to keep weight amounts going up. I really hate to see people called out over personal issues with seeds too. Heck, I'll be the first to admit that I sell a few seeds every from my own pumpkin on ebay to support growing one plant per year with everything I have to purchase. But I've given away far more seeds, including hot seeds for free to growers who just asked. I really hope leaders of the gpc and general pumpkin community keep doing what they do best, promoting a fun hobby in a fun loving way and serving each other. Jim

11/10/2011 2:04:51 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

"Here Here" & Kudo's to awl!!!(You too Duster!!!LOL) Peace, Wayne
PS...not sure about "club issues" at this point in time...didnt do a lot of research, but also didn't notice any clubs paying less this year??? Grow em BIG!!! Peace, Wayne

11/10/2011 7:27:38 PM