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Central NY

Here we go again folks!…the Official sign-up for the 2024 Zeke Demars Tomato Team Challenge.A quick recap as I think most of us know about the contest. Teams of three, your two best GPC entered tomato’s each , for a team total of 6 fruit. Make your own team and compete in the Open Division. Or sign-up as an individual and enter our “Team Draft” where you have the chance to be teamed up with some of the best tomato growers in the world. You can also Track your teams stats throughout the season as the leaderboards change. If you are growing maters for competition this season, this is the free contest you want to sign up for. Prizes as follows.
Trophies with team names
Fist place Open division 100.00
Second place open division 50.00
First place draft division 50.00
Second place draft division 50.00
State record award plaque
Our Smash Award trophy and 25.00
And of course, the main prize. The “Cup” for the top single tomato weight for the entire contest. The Top Dawg trophy has been traveling for nearly a decade now. It’s pretty much the Stanley cup of giant maters…Who will win it this season? I dunno, but it’ll be fun to watch y’all go after it! Good luck!!. We’ll solidify the teams and pick draft names the last week of may. (Normal people gardening season)
In addition, Ken is going to allow us our own auction in the Fall to continue to fund this contest. There will be prizes next year that you’ll have to be in this year to qualify for. Thanks again Ken for letting us host this contest here. Good luck y’all. And spread the word on that Facebook and tweeter bullshit for me. I dont get on much anymore. LetS GOoOooooOoo!!!!!

4/30/2024 2:54:25 PM

San Diego, CA

We have a Porkchop sighting!!! Almost as rare as the Cicadas.

Good luck to all on new PBs!!

Speaking of PBs... if you are joining the Draft competition, please let us know your current PB so we can properly categorize you in the draft.

Also, if you sign up to be on a Draft team, as a courtesy to your teammates, please strive to bring two tomatoes to the scale. Your team is counting on you to contribute. We understand that life, bad luck, illness, mother nature, mistakes, BER, disease, varmints, etc. happen... but please commit to make an reasonable attempt.

4/30/2024 3:45:40 PM

Wixom MI.

Wow I heard their was a porkchop citing ,here on BP tomato form ! I had to go check it out, it's true, yay !!!! Good to hear from you chops , I didn't know till this week if I could actually grow or not but when that tomato seed came up I was instantly hooked. It's time for this beat up SOB to show how this giant tomato growing is really done !!!

4/30/2024 5:57:22 PM

Grittyville, WA

I'd like to grow a really big tomato...

4/30/2024 7:48:10 PM

Norwich, NY

Open division, team BPM.
Chris Brown
Randy Palmer
Chris MacDonald

4/30/2024 10:05:31 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

Returning again to the Open Division & re-energized!
Led by everybody’s fave mater breeder, Chris Konieczny.
Holding down monster maters on the Left Coast, Dan Greene.
Eerily crackling sounds of rapidly expanding tomato fruits, Steve Strickler.
We are: The Polish Hammer!

4/30/2024 11:40:39 PM

Marshfield, Ma, USA

Porkchop, put me in the draft division please. Personal best 3.5 pounds. Thanks, Ed

5/1/2024 6:56:55 AM

Grittyville, WA

Team Mega Powers will compete. We were a 3 or 4th place draft team last year I think. We'll give the open division a go this year!

5/1/2024 10:54:35 PM

Iowa

Will grow some tomatoes again this year so might as well join. Put me in draft, 5.23 lbs

5/2/2024 9:46:47 PM

Fair Oaks CA

Just received an email from Saswampo that this is live. I am in on the draft division. 4.47 PB. Thanks Porkchop. Maybe 2 years in a row? Secret sauce this year is a pile of sardines. I learned that trick from a Cherokee Indian. Good luck to all and may everyone grow fantastic fruit. Lots of PB’s for everyone this year. It may only be May 2nd but I already have two mega blooms.

[Last edit: 05/02/24 10:57:05 PM]

5/2/2024 10:54:43 PM

Levittown Long Island New York USA

Hello fellow giant tomato growers. I understand this is the sign-up page but I thought this is where I could reach everyone the best way .I’m SaberOnyx (Philip from LongIslandNY) and I won’t be joining this year but please do not get me wrong. I am good, I am healthy and I’m in a great spot in life but growing giant tomatoes has consumed too much of me, I do everything to the extremes. I’m not perfect but I’m damn pretty good and I just can’t come home every day for two hours and not see the family and go right out past everyone like they weren’t there and go to my tomatoes. I would think of ideas all day in work and try the latest experiment as soon as I get home . Yes, I just can’t stand back and let them grow. I have to have total hands-on and dominant over my plants ha ha ha. It’s time to shake the flowers ,time to inspect for bugs ,time to prune , time to water before you know it my wife is calling me in for dinner and yelling "you’ve been out there for hours already what the heck are you doing"? Don’t get me wrong. It’s the most enjoyable thing that I have done in years. I just have to pull back a little bit and that’s why I’m not joining this year but it’s just me I got the grandkids are a little older , I’m driving them to soccer, T-ball and picking them up from school . In my job of 42 years I am now minutes away from retiring so hopefully I’ll be back bigger and stronger than ever next year and I’m certainly growing this year but I just can’t get as crazy under the pressure , I love you all and I have learned so much from the great teams. I’ve been on between teams with Paul and Gary ,Porkchop and Dan ,Sandkin and Patryk, Christopher and Mike , Gregg and many others. I am out there in the streets preaching almost like the gospel about giant tomatoes and what is involved in it . I’ll be thinking about you guys.

[Last edit: 05/03/24 9:18:49 AM]

5/3/2024 9:09:04 AM

Walla Walla Wa.

Saberonyx-you are wise! You've made a wise choice and I'm 100% for it! There's many other things that are more important in life than giant tomatoes, I've had to do the same thing,I'm also a very intense competitor but I've learned that they can still grow just fine without my presence so much of the time,I also have grandkids to enjoy and spend time with them,it's so valuable to do so! So enjoy backing off a bit and hopefully you'll still grow some beauties and maybe even do better than you have before!

5/3/2024 9:46:55 AM

Central NY

Wow saber… you get dinner?…lol.. enjoy the year off!

5/3/2024 9:55:16 PM

Jericho Vermont

Draft for me please. PB 7.95. Thanks for another year of this. Let the fun begin.

5/4/2024 6:35:45 AM

Wixom MI.

Hey John you better get get on a team again this year, because as of now it's just you me and Steve strickler that is keeping my seed line alive. But I expect some big changes this year since Dan Sutherland has slipped and given out his secret recipe. So not only do I plan on growing a 10 lb tomato with my Megadom and Megazac crosses I figured why stop at 10 lbs. I shooting for Dan Sutherlands 18 pounder !!! So look out Dan I'm coming for you !!! You don't think a little heart surgery is going to hold me to own, do you ???
e

5/4/2024 1:13:13 PM

Ontario

Draft: Noah DeVisser 4.96

5/4/2024 3:20:12 PM

Walla Walla Wa.

Wixom- lol! I hope you do very well this year! Especially with the seeds I sent you! Happy growing!

5/5/2024 12:48:29 AM

Kenosha - WI

Wow, Wixom going after Dan. Lol. This is going to be good. Have a good growing season everybody.

5/5/2024 6:29:41 AM

Team Canuckle Heads

Open Division
The Canknuckleheads
John Butler
Art Johnston
Joel Jarvis
Good luck to all

5/5/2024 9:25:42 AM

Burt NY

I would like to put my name in Paul Schweigert

5/5/2024 9:41:30 AM

Central NY

Holy crap, some really good teams already. I’m teaming up for the Open. We are Friendly, we are Jocular, we are the Best. We are Team FJB!!
Ned
Porkchop
Bravo.

5/5/2024 2:03:15 PM

San Diego, CA

Paul Schweigert....welcome!! We've got you down for a draft team. The records show your PB as 3.68 lbs. Can you please confirm?

5/5/2024 8:36:42 PM

San Diego, CA

Bisontino... looks like you're growing a bunch of giant varieties. C'mon, join in. It'll be fun.

[Last edit: 05/05/24 9:06:49 PM]

5/5/2024 9:06:31 PM

Burt NY

Dan, That info is good,

Paul

5/6/2024 10:45:00 AM

Littlerock, WA

Hmmm....I'm growing tomatoes again this year....Anyone else looking for teammates?

5/6/2024 5:12:57 PM

Sabetha

Draft division. Personal best just over 4lbs. Thanks for the opportunity.

Caleb Otto

5/6/2024 5:55:14 PM

Kenosha - WI

Ok I'm ready. Wixom and Saswampo have asked me to join this fierce competition. This is my second year growing big tomatoes. My PB is 4.08lb. Not sure what to do to sign up and / or create a team. But here I am. I'm in Wisconsin which is not bad for tomato growing. Thank you.

5/7/2024 12:46:40 PM

San Diego, CA

Bisontino... welcome! Unless you do some recruiting and build/join an Open team, you'll be put in the Draft pool.

Based on the # of Draft participants, growers are rated as A, B or C according to their PBs. Teams are then built by randomly selecting an A-grower, B-grower and C-grower for each team.

Draft team selections will be done at the end of May by Porkchop and myself. Teams will be announced shortly thereafter here on the Tomato Forum board. Hope that helps.

5/7/2024 1:59:47 PM

Kenosha - WI

Thank you for explaining Saswampo. If anybody is looking for a teammates here I'm ready to compete with the giants. Otherwise let's see what the Draft will bring. lol

5/7/2024 3:58:37 PM

Walla Walla Wa.

Hmmm!

5/7/2024 5:02:08 PM

Ontario

I have never been in this contest before but would like to join this year. Please put me in the draft. My personal best is 5.60 lbs. Thanks Bob MacKenzie

5/8/2024 1:17:13 PM

Putnam Ct.

Put me in the draft division please. Personal best 5.14 Gene

5/9/2024 6:36:07 AM

Orient, Ohio

Open division - Team name - Whiskey Warriors
Paul Huffer
Darryl Crosby
Bryan Reeb

Back to better our second place finish!!
Good luck to all and thanks Porkchop for putting this fun competition on.

5/9/2024 8:50:01 AM

Tenino, WA.

Thank you Porkchop and Saswampo. Team FLM we are staying together. Please sign us up for the open division. Del & Julie Faust, Jack & Sherry LaRue, Glen & Margaret Martin. Time to get our finger nails dirty again. Let's have some fun. Best of luck to everyone.

5/9/2024 3:47:32 PM

Western PA

Man, I am telling you... I have to get to know some of you tomato growers. What Great Energy you guys possess! Just reading through this post has me ready to go out and grow a big red beauty. Is that what you called them?

I am new to this contest but far from new to growing, Put me down for the draft division with an official on the books personal best of 3.19 lbs. I have grown larger but I prefer not to tell those stories.... some stories are best left untold. Erik

5/9/2024 6:56:16 PM

San Diego, CA

Open teams, got it. You're all in. Good luck!!

For the draft, so far I've got the following. Please let me know I've missed something:

John Young, 7.95
Bob MacKenzie, 5.60
Paul Harrington, 5.23
Green Gene, 5.14
Noah De Visser, 4.96
Donald German, 4.47
Tony Bisontino, 4.08
Pumpkin Patch Kids, 4.00
Paul Schweigert, 3.68
Ed Pappas, 3.55
Pumpkin Picker, 3.19

5/10/2024 12:07:21 AM

Connecticut, USA

I am jumping into the draft too. Ken D. 1.98 is my official PB. I had a bigger one go down before the weigh-off last year.

5/10/2024 5:47:58 AM

France

Draft division, PB 8.80lb Mehdi Daho
Thanks for the game !

5/10/2024 7:14:47 AM

West Linn, Oregon

Twelve Pound Dreamers are back for a re-match
Enter us again, please, same as last year, open division
Jef Treece
Mark Seest
Kevin Hall

5/11/2024 10:38:45 AM

Wixom MI.

I think Cindy tobek is looking for a team ?

5/12/2024 11:17:34 AM

Wixom MI.

I'm trying to get Rick spaziani to get back into too !

5/12/2024 11:19:14 AM

Wixom MI.

Hmmm....is Dan Sutherland thinking about joining ???

5/12/2024 11:37:12 AM

On a cliff in the desert

I asked Rick if was going to grow this year and he said no.

5/12/2024 1:13:13 PM

Grittyville, WA

Dan is so far ahead of the rest of us!!! Maybe he would agree to a 'one tomato' handicap, lol. And then it would still be a challenge to beat him.

5/12/2024 6:44:27 PM

Central NY

Welcome to the new folks to the contest!…wixom-I saw that Cindy was available so I made Ned and Bravo rock paper SizZers…our new team will be Cindy, Ned, and myself. Sorry Bravo. That really sucks.

5/12/2024 7:09:34 PM

Alex, IN

If its not too late I would like to be a part of the draft. My PB is 4.69 pounds.

5/13/2024 12:24:29 PM

Colorado

Draft 3.90

5/13/2024 2:53:56 PM

Woodley, Reading, UK

Curtis Leach, draft pb 5.61

5/13/2024 4:26:16 PM

Wixom MI.

You cheater chops, yeah that will be you new name, cheater chops !!! 😂

5/13/2024 4:55:22 PM

Central NY

Lol wixom!.. I’m no dummy!…btw.. see the bp draft announcement on the homepage?...pretty sweet...Ken rocks.

5/13/2024 7:55:25 PM

Partlow,Va

Please put me in the draft. Hank Houston pb 2.8 I believe.

5/14/2024 12:04:25 PM

Fullerton, California

Draft 4.71

5/14/2024 7:06:01 PM

Greenbrier Valley, WV

Open Division: Team Big Red

Rick Jolivette
Chris Rodebaugh
Ethan Ramey

Let's go!

5/14/2024 8:08:59 PM

Lake Oswego, OR

The Tomato Titans:

Ellann Cohen
Brad Bahns
Brian Williams

5/15/2024 1:26:14 PM

Amissville, VA

Hi everyone I would like to join the fun!!
My person best is 4.50lbs Domingo. Have some great plants this year. Please sign me up. Thank you

V/R,
Jason Loris

5/16/2024 9:20:45 PM

valtierra/spain

Draft 4.62 I know I can do better with a little luck

[Last edit: 06/21/24 1:01:13 PM]

5/17/2024 5:05:09 PM

Partlow,Va

Don't short yourself Jason, your pb is 4.51, not 4.50
haha. I just planted six of them with 4.51 in your handwriting on the package. Also written was "the plant produced megablooms all year".

That's what I'm talking about!
Thanks for the seeds brother.

5/18/2024 9:01:37 AM

Culpeper, Virginia

Sign me up current PB is 3.91lbs

5/18/2024 11:00:45 PM

Mead, WA

Elaine for the draft (helpers:Luke, Susan, & Fred team DeArth) got us some tomato plants started. No recorded personal best.

[Last edit: 05/19/24 12:29:08 PM]

5/19/2024 12:17:18 PM

Quebec

Open Division Please, Canadian contingent.

The "EH" Team!
Todd Kline
Doug Court
Emily Summerhayes

Thank you very much! Good luck to all.

5/21/2024 2:40:03 PM

Central NY

Chris “Qtip” Qualley …7.19 draft
The draft is now closed. See ya in the chat tomrw eve!!

5/25/2024 3:57:05 PM