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Western NY

Dan & Jason Mckie: 4447.5# (1631.5 + 1412 + 1404)
Joe Jutras: 4,426.5# (1689 + 1352 + 1385.5)
Quinn Werner: 4313.5 (1556.5 + 1394 + 1363)
Bill Bobier: 4184# (1402.5 +1405.5 + 1376)
Dave Stelts: 4154 (1527.5 + 1537 + 1089.5 )

10/14/2007 4:18:00 PM

Rhode Island

grower of the year is quite an honor.
to me it represents the best grower in the game today.

to be a world record holder and/or grower of the year is something no one can ever take away from you.
it means at that particular moment in time you were the best of the best.

congratulations again to joe jutras world record holder and the mckie brothers - grower of the year.

pap

10/14/2007 10:08:25 PM

ordinary,VA

my hat is off to all you gentlemen!!
congrats to all!

10/14/2007 10:25:16 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Amazing numbers from all of you. Congratulations! The skill & dedication needed to be on this list of five is incredible.

10/14/2007 11:21:25 PM

Waitakere New Zealand

those are truly amazing numbers congratulations to all 5 growers, I take my hat of to you all.

10/15/2007 3:35:47 AM

Carrollton, Ga.

Congrats to all you men, very impressive!!!

Doug
Jn. 3:16

10/15/2007 6:07:15 AM

Somerset,Ky

Congrats to all Awesome just Awesome!

10/15/2007 8:00:06 AM

eastern Ontario

The top five 2008 growers in the world!

I salute you,and all growers salute you.

Al Eaton,Ontario

10/15/2007 8:21:49 AM

Ontario, Canada.

This a fine bunch of gentlemen.

Wonderful numbers

Russ Landry

10/15/2007 8:27:29 AM

Team Munson

WOW now those are impressive numbers!!! I know for myself that with out Carol I would struggle to get 3,000#'s total. I couldn't have done it with out her, THANK YOU HONEY WE DID IT!!!!

10/15/2007 8:52:23 AM

Georgia

Great Job yall.

10/15/2007 8:56:46 AM

Massillon, Ohio

I am in awe of these numbers! But the honor that you 6 men have earned is not just about pumpkins. Its about your knowledge, dedication, passion, determination and work ethic. Great big congratulations to all of you!!

10/15/2007 9:02:49 AM

President - GPC

Well Said NANA, they are "The Ambassadors of Curcubita" WOW what numbers this year.....The best year ever !!! 2000 is well within grasp......

10/15/2007 10:02:48 AM

Minnesota

How About A New Catagory, "Best Seed Of The Year" Based On How Well It Did That Year!

10/15/2007 10:32:10 AM

Sophia WV

Congradulations Dan jason and Joe on a fantastic year!!!!!

10/15/2007 3:05:31 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

I say we start a collection to raise money for "5" orange jackets...one with gold cuff's!!!! All of these folks deserve the grower of the year award for what they have accomplished!!!! Peace, Wayne
Where should I send my contribution???

10/15/2007 6:40:08 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Just curious, anyone know what the total was last year???, for the award?? Peace, Wayne

10/15/2007 6:41:01 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Congrats to all of you! Just amazing.

10/15/2007 6:56:36 PM

canal winchester ohio

3989.5
Ron Wallace , last season

10/15/2007 7:15:12 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks huffs...now I def. think that 5 jackets need to be purchased....maybe gold cuffs and lapels!!!! LOL Peace, Wayne

10/15/2007 7:19:08 PM

Colorado

any of the above mentioned growers had a super year. 1400 pound average for three pumpkins is something unimaginable a few years ago. Thanks to ron and dickie for sharing their techniques. and way to go to the big five mentioned earlier, especially joe j. with his 1689-thanks for setting the bar so high I cant even see it

10/15/2007 7:36:13 PM

Bristol,RI,USA.

Congrats to all truly amazing! But how did Dan and Janson do as individuals last year there was a father and son team that set the world on fire. but when all was sead and don they were scored as individuals, is it grower of the year or team of the year ? I am taking nothing away from the top six, again truly amazing!!!! But it is grower of the year! Not the patch with the highest average, am I not correct! How dose the GPC rule this!

10/24/2007 11:53:02 AM

Mt Vernon Ky

Congrats to all Awesome just think Wayne if we knew what these guys forgot we be in good shape LOL

10/24/2007 2:09:46 PM

Indiana

I think its a little uncalled for to question Dan and Jason's partnership in growing. They are brothers by the way. I dont know how the father and son from last year do things, but Dan and Jason both work on the same plants.

In fact, I would argue they missed out on an aweful lot of prizemoney by not entering 2 pumpkins.

Some patches have 2 growers involved. Some grow their own plants individually, others shar duties on all plants. Knowing Dan for over 2 years now, I will vouch that they have always been this way since the beginning.

I was personally offended the above comment on this...I cant imagine how it makes Dan and Jason feel after all their hard work to have someone comment and TRY to lessen their accomplishment.

10/25/2007 12:30:34 AM

Rhode Island

the gpc executive committee established a grower of the year award in 2006 to honor that grower who has the highest gross weight from their top three pumpkins weighed at three seperate gpc events.a reward for outstanding accomplishment in the hobby if you will.
no one thought much about partnership growers entering events together with a pumpkin/pumpkins grow by two growers.
when you think about it for a minute there are many growing teams that enter competitions together. ron and i used to do that many years ago and went to our own entries in the later years once we had a bigger patch and more land to each grow on.we still help one another but have our own plants we lay claim to early in the season.

back to dan and jason. if anything they embody the spirit of what pumpkin growing is all about. family,sharing,working together, all the good things.
most of the complaints i have heard over the years revolve around two growers having an advantage over one. not so. look at joe jutras. he grows alone,works his butt off and grew a world record.
some day a team of husband/wife, father/son,two brothers, two sisters, you get the idea, will also grow a world record.
they deserve to be honored together if thats the way they choose to grow and enter competitions.

joe jutras said it best several years ago when our RI gang got doinked at the scales by what we looked at as questionable grower entries.
ya know what he said? " GROW A BIGGER PUMPKIN " and we did.

pap

10/25/2007 8:02:57 AM

Bristol,RI,USA.

In reply to my above post, and Tom B. I commend you for standing by your friends Dan and Jason as I stated there accomplishments are truly amazing. my comment comes from what I have seen at the scales, when pumpkins growers i.e. father ,son or husband wife are not given prize money because they grow in the same patch even when they are both great growers in there own right. Rules are set as guide line and in this case it is” the grower of the year”! not growers of the year. This is not a personal attack on Dan and Janson, nor was it meant to be. It is a simple question for clarity of this rule! So that everyone is clear going forward
Again I am not trying to lesson Dan and Janson’s Accomplishments just looking for Clarity because I am not the first to point this out just the voice to ask

Calcubit

10/25/2007 2:03:38 PM

Michigan

Wow, seems petty to me Calcubit....maybe it should be called patch of the year to avoid this kind of confusion. Congrats Dan and Jason, what an amazing season!!! I think that it is fabulous that you and your brother are able to grow together. My husband often helps me in the patch, and it makes me sad to think that some members of this generous growing community would penalize our efforts should our patch ever prove to be as fruitful as yours was this season.

~Jessica

10/25/2007 2:23:40 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Oh boy more rule changes. We have much work to do this winter. The ever growing and enlarging status of the GPC requires much more clarification in future years. These are some of the pitfalls of growth. Points like this however touchy as they may seam arise for a reason. I pledge to help try and resolve some of these issues as we move the commonwealth forward.

In the mean time lets all rally around the accomplishments of our top growers and support the Commonwealth in its endeavours. I am going to be glued to the TV this coming Monday morning watching Good Morning America. "Bless You Boys" and great work in growing.

Russ

10/25/2007 4:14:12 PM

Team Munson

Calcubit,
First if you would like to have a clarification of a recognition category my personal information is provided on the GPC home page. I would also like to ask if you would like to "call out the GPC" please have the decency to list your name so we may know who we are talking to. It would also be nice if you did some research and use spell check before you decide to post, it is Dan and Jason McKie please leave the "n" out of Jason's name.
The Executive Committee works very hard to think of more ways to honor achievements made by hard working dedicated growers. We do understand that some verbage may not be perfect in our description of rules and award category's but hope growers understand the "spirit of the wording". Sadly some cases arise that point out that we must spell every thing out to make it crystal clear as to our intent. We are not lawyers and do this for the love of the sport/hobby with out pay.
Dave Stelts

10/26/2007 9:05:05 AM

Michigan

hi! would any of you know how I might be able to get an autographed picture from Joe Jutras and/or any of the other giant pumpkin record holders??? my 9 yr. old son is a huge fan of the giant pumpkins growers. I know it would make a great Christmas gift for him.
I'll give my e-mail address below just in case. Thanks! ~Ginnie

ghr83@yahoo.com

11/27/2007 3:37:36 PM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

Would this be the young man that asked for my autograph? if so i might be able to help you with this. It really made my year when he asked for my autograph. email me if this is the case. steve zuhlke

11/27/2007 3:47:15 PM

Coventry R.I.

Hi brendino,,i,ll give him your e/mail; see what happens.

12/4/2007 3:08:50 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Congrats to the top 5 on their awesome accomplishments!
It seems to me, that if Dan and Jason enter there pumpkins together, as a team, then they should be honored together, as a team.
I really like Tom's point....."In fact, I would argue they missed out on an aweful lot of prizemoney by not entering 2 pumpkins."

12/4/2007 6:53:07 PM