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Okla

I was wondering if any of you that help with the weighoffs could post how your weighoff is structured for your prizes and how far down they go. Also are there any other special prizes other than how they place?
What all fruits does your weighoffs include? Giant Pumpkins, Giant Squash, Giant Watermelons, Giant Cantaloupes, Giant Tomatoes, and any other Fruits or Veggies.
We are looking at maybe getting a weighoff setup here in Oklahoma.
Any other advice or help would be appreciated.

1/16/2006 6:59:23 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

All Green Squash Prizes: 1st Place - $500, 2nd Place - $300, 3rd Place - $200
Prizes for In State Pumpkins: 1st Place - $1000, 2nd Place - $750, 3rd Place - $500, 4th – 10th – Ribbons. $100 Bonus paid for a new Connecticut State Record (currently 851.8 lbs)
All State Prize Entries: 1st Prize - $1000, 2nd Prize - $750, 3rd Prize - $500.

Because were a first year weigh-off in a small state we decided to hold 2 contests for Orange Pumpkins. One for instate & one open category for all comers.

We are GPC sanctioned so we followed the GPC color guidelines & could have made further awards under the GPC prize structure has the weights meritted.

We did award the new CT State record (1081 Leonzi) a $100 new State record bonus on top of First Place.

Steve
CT GS&PGA Pres.

1/16/2006 9:55:28 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Steve, would I be correct to assume that only one prize per fruit would be correct. I mean that you could not enter a fruit in more than one category? Are your (CT) rules and prize structures fairly standard...or do they have a wide variation? Thanks for all info. Just curious...I just wanna gro 1 bigger!! Peace, Wayne

1/16/2006 10:22:41 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I can't speak for other clubs but here are the details from our 2005 official entry form.

Rules & Regulations
1.) “The entry” is the Cucurbita sp. specimen that was grown by the exhibitor (person signing this document).
2.) Entry is limited to one per fixed address/household in either color or State category.
3.) Additional entries will be considered “exhibition only” & are ineligible for cash prizes.
4.) Entries must not have been entered or weighed at any other weigh-off or contest prior to this event.
5.) To be eligible for prize money, the entry must not be entered into another weigh-off afterward.
6.) Heaviest sound entry wins.
7.) A Squash will be defined as 100% green, gray, blue or a combination thereof. No orange will show.
8.) A Pumpkin will be any fruit not classified as Squash. To be eligible for the GPC all Pumpkin color bonus, the fruit must be solid orange, cream or white in color with no green showing when lying as grown.

continued

1/16/2006 11:08:51 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

9.) The entry will be sound without significant soft spots, cracks, or holes through to the cavity. Any material used to seal a breach must be removed for inspection. Judges will probe cracks to determine soundness. Refusal to submit to inspection will result in disqualification. The judge’s rulings are final.
10.) The entry must be clean & free of dirt or chemical residues. The vine must be trimmed within one inch of the stem. No foreign material may be included with the entry on the scale.
11.) The five Judges are; club/grower representative, site coordinator, site representative, & two experienced growers.
12.) Any attempt to coerce or influence a judge is grounds for disqualification at the discretion of the CT GS&PGA executive board.
13.) If a judge has a fruit entered into this contest & an event should require a Judges ruling, then the entered Judge will be replaced by another grower until after the decision is made final.
14.) GPC (Great Pumpkin Commonwealth) prizes are subject to the posted “GPC Rules”.
15.) All entries are to be on a pallet & on the ground staged for inspection by 12:00 PM no exceptions.

1/16/2006 11:08:57 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks, Steve Peace, Wayne

1/17/2006 1:15:21 AM

Ri

Steve have uze guzs determined your weigh0off date for 2006 Thanks Pete

1/17/2006 10:31:56 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Yes we did but like a fool I didn't write it down! LOL

I believe we're going a week earlier this year but let me check & I'll post it.

1/17/2006 12:46:35 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

2.) Entry is limited to one per fixed address/household in either color or State category.

Note also that we had too waive the 12:00 Noon deadline this year. My tractor operator flatttened a front tire on his Kubota & nearly dropped a pumpkin in doing so. After seeing the look on the growers face, he refused to left another fruit. I then drove the tractor (and flattened the other tire) until he returned with my real forklift nearly 2 hours later.

We didn't drop any fruit but I ruined both of his front tires & scuffed & dented the rims really bad. More frustarting was the additional time it took to move the fruit to & from the trucks & staging area with that POS machine.

I felt really bad especially for the RI guys who took the time to support us like you all did.

I've already made arrangements for a heavy duty solid tire forklift for 2006. You just can't play games with the fruit of other people's labors. Tracors are for tilling & ploughing.

1/17/2006 12:57:55 PM

Utah

Thomas,
we have had a loosely organized weigh off here in Utah for several years. 2005 we organized the UGPG so that year was our first year as an organized group.
here are a couple things that we did that might help you.
1) we used Temors rules - slightly modified - thanks !
2) In order to have a fruit weighed anyone that showed up had to join our group. $20 - but everyone who joined got at a least $20 in prize money.
3) We tried to keep thing simple --- only pumpkins and squash ... and we just did heaviest fruit wins... one pay out group only... only one prize per grower... but people could bring in other fruit to be weighed... they were official just not eligle for prize money. we tried to stay away from the term exhibition. exh.
4) We talked about lots of different money structures but what boiled down to was ... how much money could we raise for prize money. Then adjust accordingly.
5) We decided to have a fairly flat payout structure to attract and keep new growers. is someone more likely to come back next year if they came in 9th place and didn't win anything or if they came in 9th place and did win some money- say $80 ?
I did some messing around in excel with different numbers etc... basically you entered the total amount of money you had ... and each award was a certain percentage of that... that worked great but the numbers were never nice round numbers... they came out like $217 ... after all was said and done we started with that but simplified it ... we had about $2500 this is what we ended up with...
1    $400
2    $350
3    $300
4    $250
5    $200
6    $150
7    $100
8    $90
9    $80
10    $70
11    $60
12    $50
13    $40
14    $30
15    $20
16- end $20

I'd be happy to send you the play with the numbers excel sheet if you are interested.
gordon

1/17/2006 1:29:28 PM

Utah

one more thing ... this year we are planning on doing pretty much the same thing only hopefully adding a $500 and $450 a the top. maybe adding a few new prizes ... a ribbon and maybe $20 for
1) prettiest
2) ugliest
3) best new grower
4) most improved
stuff like that.
Forming a group helped us. potiential Weigh off sites I think were more willing to talk to us because we were a organized group. Once we had a site they we willing to work with us to help advertize the weigh off. last year our site arranged for several of us and some pumpkins to be on the morning news show the friday before the weigh off.
Talk to the media before the weigh off - TV, newspapers, radio, etc ...they like to do stories on pumpkins. even it it means calling them yourself and having them come over to you patch. which works better if you are leader of a group .. not just some guy who has a big pumpkin ih his back yard- but most of the time they'll come over just for that.
Having a web site helped people find us ... growers who were out there that we didn't know about.

We did all of the above last year. Starting with setting up a meeting in Feb to organize the group.
good luck - feel free to email if you have any questions!

gordon

Gordon Tanner
UGPG President
www.utahpumpkingrowers.com

1/17/2006 1:42:50 PM

Cologne / Germany

What is the prize money along with the "big events" like Topsfield etc.? Maybe I have a different point of view, but basically, if you make it into the Top-3, you´d probably like to see something back of all the money you invested for the seeds (auctions), the patch, ferts, water etc.
Do you think, in case you win, it should compensate your next season, or is this not realistic because the season and all expenses are just for the fun of it?
I´m just asking because I have no idea...

1/17/2006 3:37:24 PM

Ohio

Steve, Barnesville uses a lift from a vault company, it worked like a charm. I think the guy that owns the vault company has done this for many years for them.

1/17/2006 4:18:24 PM

Ohio

Tanner, I like your prize structure, but there is not much gap between the Champ and 2nd and 3rd place growers. Give the Champ some more cash,lol

Brooks

1/17/2006 4:25:18 PM

Ohio

Sorry, one more thing, Barnesville only let you weigh in two pumpkins only and only one counted. I wanted to weigh in 3 but they wouldnt let me.

I really like your idea of letting growers weigh all their fruit in Tanner, even though they dont count you still get more pumpkins there for people to look at. Thats what its mostly all about is showing them off.

Brooks

1/17/2006 4:36:05 PM

Utah

Brooks...
well I see your thinking and there is logic to it... but since was (still am) the president of the club and was the top grow the year before ... I didn't want to make it look like I was doing favors for myself. conflict of interest and all that stuff ... oh yea I did win in 05 too. The $400 I won was $400 more than I won the year before ... so I say we are moving in the right direction. :)

gordon

1/17/2006 6:10:44 PM

Norton, MA

Topsfield and RI have a 3,500 $ first prize. All the Topsfield info is here http://topsfieldfair.org/Handbook/Giant%20pumpkin.pdf
RI is something similar all the way down, maybe the same. There were more awards last year, with the new GPC rulings, at the RI place. Those can add a couple numbers in front of the zero! AleX Noel.

1/17/2006 7:15:00 PM

Ohio

Wow 3500 first prize, that might make a out of stater travel 4 or 5 hours to enter if they think they got a chance.

1/17/2006 11:14:21 PM

White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Thomas, scroll down to the post on 09/23/2005, by Joze and check out our Stillwater, MN. prizestructure. This was our first year.
James

1/18/2006 2:03:29 AM

Rhode Island

the "frerichs farm weigh off" is always held on colombus weekend. ( one week after many major weigh offs in the country )
we enjoy a very strong relationship with our sponsor/hosts dave and barbara frerichs.we have two major sponsors frerichs farm and capital city financial, plus several minors.

with a core group in excess of ten people that share ideas and work together on club functions and fund raisers, our future is very bright.
we also have a "friends of the program" list which consists of companies and individuals that have donated equipment and/or services to our organization. ( its vey important to give back to those that give to you )- even if its nothing more than a thank you mention in your newsletters or a card at the end of the season.

last year thanks to our sponsors and dedicated core group of directors we gave out.

$6,500.00 in cash prizes ranging from $3,500.00 for our champion to $50.00 for fifteenth place.
$1,500.00 in ribbons ( places 1 to 15 )and thropies - first thru third place (with tractors on top ),- heaviest from each new england state represented,-prettiest, ugliest (ruch to flush award-a trophty with toilet on top) ,heaviest true grn squash,-heaviest true pumpkin,- sponsor appreciation plaques,- plus small halloween type gifts for all the children in attendance.

plans are already in place to improve cash payouts for places 2 thru 15 in 2006.

we also added a $500.00 drawing for our out of tri-state area members. attendance is not needed to win. ( all names into a hat and five $100.00 winners will be pulled )
our thank you to our many loyal out of area members.
this does not take into account the rental fees and purchasing costs to insure a top shelf weigh off.

the efforts of many have made the above possible.

pap

1/18/2006 10:09:44 AM

Okla

I really appreciate the info you have provided. There are a few of us growers down here in the Southern Central part of the U.S. that are looking into getting a weighoff going down here for us to be able to start going to and hopefully we are going to try to get our own organization started soon also. It will be very helpful in helping us with our weighoff getting started.
It also would be very helpful and go a long way if one of us down here to grow a 1000 lb pumpkin. We have been debating what seed would have the best chance of doing that. Without there being a good choice of seeds for the hotter climates it will be hard to make a choice along with us growers down here not having the connections that a lot of the northern growers have to be able to get some of the better seeds to be able to do it with. Yeah I know some of you are going to say is all you have to do is ask the growers for some of the seeds. Well I did ask a couple this year about some of the seeds I thought would be good and they were already out because there are so many growers asking for seeds these days. I decided a couple years ago after all the big fuss about seed hoarding that I would not ask for seeds that I would not consider growing anymore. Guess that puts me at the back of the pack now because in the years to come I will not have the upcoming hot seeds and will not have a chance at getting them. So what does a grower do about that? With there getting to be more growers every year how are growers going to handle giving seeds out?
Thanks again for what has been posted and anything else that anyone can still add.
Thomas
S.W. Oklahoma

1/18/2006 10:03:53 PM

Rhode Island

thomas you have mail pap

1/18/2006 10:10:46 PM

Utah

Thomas,
regarding having the HOT seeds. Most every seed out there today has good if not genetics... what makes a seed hot is that people grow it and that some do well with it. ask pap about that ...lol !
I can give you an example I that I know of ... I'm sure there are more out there ... and even better ones... it invloves my seeds and I'm not trying to hype it ... just useing it for the example because this is one that I know off the top of my head.
in 04 I grew a 835 lb pumpkin. my 3rd largest that year.
835 Tanner (900 Sandvik 2003 x 963 Stucker 2002)
the 900 Sandvik is a (845 Bobier x 935 Lloyd) and was 14% heavy.
The 963 Stucker is a (801 Stelts x 935 Lloyd) it grew the 1082 MacKinnon.
that why I picked those seeds to grow...
so the 835 Tanner is 1/2 935 Lloyd, 1/4th 845 Bobier and 1/4th 801 Stelts. Wow ... not to shabby right ?

Well as far as I know I'm the only one who ever grew the 900 Sandvik ... and as far as I know only one guy grew my 835 Tanner. A guy named Doug Heathman from Kansas grew it in 05. well from it he grew a nice shaped, orange, 619.5 lb pumpkin, a new State record. It beat the old state record by over 200 lbs.
Guess what seeds Doug and a couple of other growers from Kansas asked me for this year? yup the 835. Maybe you and I and everyone else should consider planting it ! lol!

anyway- yes it would be nice to have the Hottest seeds or even a good proven seed. but in my opinion don't worry that you don't have the latest best seeds... there are lots of seeds out there with great poteintial that no one has ever grown.

also no one in Utah has ever grown a 1000 lb pumpkin but we still have good weigh offs. Many people who will come to your weigh off have never seen any large pumpkin- so what ever you have there will be huge to them.
Good luck with setting up all the thing you have planned this year.
take care,
gordon

1/19/2006 9:57:58 AM

Norton, MA

Don't worry about hogging seeds as long as you're not hogging them. Give the bunches of seeds that you haven't grown to new growers, they really appreciate an AG seed at all. I remember how happy I was when I got my first seeds. In my opinion, half the seeds out there today would grow a 1000+ if 25 or so got grown, who knows whether the 720.6 (oh yes that is my seed, good one too, LOL) that's sitting next to the 898 in your seed box could grow you a new world record? AleX Noel.

1/19/2006 3:27:37 PM

St. Louis, MIssouri

I am looking to serve at a pumpkin festival as Sir Pumpkin and whack pumpkins in half along with a story about Sir Pumpkin and how to control one's anger. Any one give me some contacts?\

http://www.knightforhire.com
Karl M. Kindt III
314 961 0987
St. Louis, MO
But I have armor will travel.

1/27/2006 5:22:22 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

www.prozac.com

1/27/2006 9:45:01 PM

Indiana

LMFAO Ive seen pumpkin catapaults and slingshots and air guns why not a pumpkin whacker.

1/28/2006 9:50:57 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

I'm willin to bet he can't make it thru a big one!!! Unless he drew his sword from the stone...excalibur lives??? Is there a show or go home invitation brewing here???? Peace, Wayne

1/28/2006 7:04:25 PM

Norton, MA

Guillatine maybe? LOL! AleX Noel.

1/29/2006 6:54:26 PM