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Ontario

Back from a fantastic time in Niagara at 14th Annual IGVGC...!! And.....it's looking like 99.9% chance we will be back at the Americana in 2013!!

A huge thank-you, and shout out (as Kelsey would say..lol) to the Pumpkinfest crew....Sally, Heather and Lacey!!! What an outstanding event as usual!!!!

Well attended, awesome speakers...great knowledge gained!! Thanks for that!! And the food..... Wow!!! Incredible spreads...from the fresh made omelette's in the morning to the spectacular spread at dinner.... seafood, beef, chicken pastas... salads....etc....all incredibly cooked!!

The jacket presentations and the hospitality nights, the pumpkin card game, the camaraderie, and all the great growers.... all top drawer!!! An event well worth it and I for one hope it continues and carry's on for another 14 or more years!!!

Till 2013....

Cheers...

Bryan

3/11/2012 8:55:14 PM

Muddy Waters

Looking forward to meeting you guys there next year.Last time I went it was in Guelph. Cheers To you Bryan

3/11/2012 8:59:58 PM

Komoka, Ontario, Canada

Hahaha...hey Bryan! I just finished my post and noticed yours!

Niagara was awesome this year!!!! I see a big bounce back coming in attendance in 2013! Great job Pumpkinfest crew!

3/11/2012 9:24:44 PM

Ontario

Best seminar in years. I think the rigid structure of previous years just killed the fun. Had a blast! Good food, info and most of all people. This old dog learned a few new tricks and that makes it well worth attending. Well done Port Elgin crew! Also thanks to the speakers.

3/11/2012 9:48:38 PM

Canada

By far the best time I have had in years.I really enjoyed the new format. It was good see everyone again.Thanks for all the hard work, Sally and her crew great job. Looking forward to next year.

3/11/2012 10:00:47 PM

St. Thomas Ontario

First time i've been to a growers convention and will without a doubt be back.

Intimate and interactive is the best way to learn in my opinion and this convention was perfect for that.

This relaxed atmosphere gave me a change to talk to pretty much everyone over the weekend, rookies and seasoned profesionals alike and not just a handshake, really talk 'shop' with them. Very informative, awsome job folks, i'll definitely be back if it's happening again!

3/12/2012 8:15:20 AM

Quebec

Now that was a great seminar! My drive home went really fast because I was thinking of all the great conversations and people that I met there. Sally, Heather, and Lacey deserve a lot of credit for the enthusiastic, positive atmosphere combined with happy faced attitudes. It was very well run, the speakers great with sharing of information and the food was the best I've ever seen at any seminar and I've been to a few. Thanks to everyone who attended as this was a make or break year for the convention and it sounds like it and the orange jacket will live on. I'm sure the attendance will spike back up next year and Eddy if you come, bring a bathing suit for the water park. I know you'll probably scare the crap out of the kiddies there but it will be worth it!

3/12/2012 8:26:53 AM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

Dittos to all of the above. The food was just incredible this year and Matt DiBacco's presentation was just first rate and very informative. Even the weather was great this year.

3/12/2012 8:30:36 AM

Cameron

We are with Todd & Larry. It was a great event. All the speakers were very informative & the meals were outstanding. The freshly made omelette's were a nice addition to the morning buffet. We even had fresh fruit, along with a chocolate fountain during the afternoon break, but I dribbled it all over my shirt. Jane would tell you that this is nothing new for me. lol. We really enjoyed Matt D's presentation & hope that he returns to speak next year. Overall a 1st class event. Thanks Sally, Heather, Lacey & Pumpkinfest for hosting another great convention. Thanks also goes to the GVGO for hosting the hospitality room again on the Friday & Sat evenings.
We look forward to seeing you all again next year. Good luck this season.

Jane & Phil

3/12/2012 9:04:20 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Did miss seeing all my good friendZ up North.... Good Luck with your 2012 Growing Season!

3/12/2012 10:28:40 AM

Geneseo, NY

I agree with the above posts. It was a great time for all who attended. Thanks to the Port Elgin staff for a great weekend. Thank you to Sally for her years of hard work and hope to see everyone at the 15th annual in 2013.

Bill Cartwright

3/12/2012 8:07:01 PM

bliss,n.y.- heart of Wyoming County

Awesome job Sally and team!
The food-wow!
Well I was told if you eat in Canada.. everying is calorie free-- therefore I ate.. lol

Seriously- Bring on next year!!!

3/13/2012 3:09:51 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

Thanks everyone for your kind words - we had a blast hosting the convention and we sincerely appreciate all of your support.

It's looking like we will have to keep the second weekend of March as our date for next year but we have booked 2014 for later in March after the school break. So mark your calendars for March 8, 9, and 10, 2013 and bring the kids! Good luck with your giant veggies this season and bring a big one to the scales. See you at the weigh-offs!

Sally, Heather and Lacey (your IGVGC and Port Elgin Pumpkinfest team)

3/13/2012 8:09:28 PM

Connecticut

I was glad to be a part of the 2012 convention as it was an enjoyable year. Sally heard the comments about including food in the package and this made things very easy. It was great to be able to stay in the hotel and have breakfast + lunch + dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday included in the package. As others commented, I will second that the food was top notch.

Hearing both the World Record pumpkin and squash growers was informative, but the real value was being able to personally talk to Jim, Kelsey and Joel. Then there was the informal meeting with Team Lunatic which was a lot of fun and while they have a logo, they need some help getting a website together. (We gave them a Team-Pumpkin business card with our website so they should be able to get in touch with us.)

The awards show was just right giving those deserving their moment in the spot light. It was great seeing two orange jackets being given out;-)

Hats off to Sally and her supporting crew of Heather and Lacy for a great job organizing everything that goes into putting on a great event.

3/13/2012 10:37:18 PM

Benson, Vermont

After a last minute work schedule change Holly and I were able to attend our 5th year at the IGVGC. As usual it was a fantastic time, we always look forward to seeing our old friends and meeting new ones. Enjoyed many laughs with Team-Pumpkin; Sally and her crew were awesome and the food was delicious. Jim & Kelsey Bryson are two of the nicest people you could ever meet. Joel's talk was informative; we already have a shortage of emergency blankets in our area, LOL! Matt’s talk about plant disease was one of the best presentations that I have ever attended. The frosting on the cake was winning the raffle of the 1818.5 Bryson seed! Thanks go out to everyone involved in making our time in Canada one of the best ever.

3/14/2012 6:39:56 PM

Putnam Ct.

Want to say a big Thank You to Sally, Heather, Lacy the Port Elgin Pumpkinfest Team! For putting on this great event for us growers! The food was top notch accommodations couldn't have been better and the speakers were very informative. It was nice to meet Joel and to see Jim & Kelsey again and to put faces to names you may see here on BP. Congrats to Dan and Holly Boyce on winning that 1818 hope it grows a monster for you. Not sure if it was more nerve racking smuggling Stewy and the Green Jacket into Canada or smuggling Bart out! The border agents have a thing for Bart for some reason lol. Big shout out to the Team Lunatic guys.You guy's Rock! but still have no web site or business cards LOL.. Had a lot of laughs and look foward to next years convention! Oh almost forgot they even had something called Winter Rye at the bar only 2 bucks a glass!

3/15/2012 11:50:05 AM

Port Elgin, Ontario

I'll just be repeating what Sally has said, but since I am now OFFICIALLY on BP, I just want to say Thank You so much for all of the comments! We had a great time and I look forward to talking with everyone on here!
Thanks Again!
Lacey

3/16/2012 2:46:17 PM