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Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

More than 6000 people jammed the arena in Smoky Lake on a snowy Saturday morning to watch Great White North Pumpkin Fair and weigh off.
First Place went to: Eric Hanna of Fort St. John, B.C. with a 772.5 pounder.
Second: Don Crews of Lloydminster, Alberta 732.5
Third: Cathy Pederson, Vauxhall, Alberta : 655
Fourth: Ernie Pearce (Giant Veggies)"Wilbur" 633.5


Congratulations, Ernie!

10/6/2002 4:10:27 AM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Ernie is from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

10/6/2002 4:12:55 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Great Job Ernie congrats on your PB. I'm sure they'll be plenty more coming from Moose Jaw! Chuck

10/6/2002 8:21:45 AM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Here are the rest of the results:
Pumpkin:
772.5 Eric Hanna, Fort St. John, BC
732.5 Don Crews, Lloydminster, AB, 1020 Papez x 1064.5 Needham
655.0 Cathy Pederson, Vauxhall, AB
633.5 Ernie Pearce, Moose Jaw, SK
471.0 Irene Crews, Lloydminster, AB, 1025 Bobbier x 1020 Papez
297.5 John Lobay, Smoky Lake, AB
243.0 Mary Lobay, Smoky Lake, AB
207.0 Robert Lobay, Edmonton, AB
143.0 Eva Lewicki, Smoky Lake, AB
133.0 Stephania Jacula, Vermilion, AB

Squash:
225.0 John Lobay, Smoky Lake, AB
206.5 Mary Lobay, Smoky Lake, AB


Watermelon:
47.0 Robert Lobay, Edmonton, AB
44.0 Irene Crews, Lloydminster, AB
42.0 John Lobay, Smoky Lake, AB

10/6/2002 1:35:32 PM

Long Island,New York

Maybe I missed something....but whatever happened to this 1030est Ernie from the 635Paynter ?.........G

10/6/2002 4:47:33 PM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Ernie told me it developed a hole and decided not to bring it, using "Wilbur" as his backup. I'll let him fill in the details. It's a crying shame... as it would have set a new record here!

10/6/2002 5:45:40 PM

Key West, FL

i am getting this really fishy smell here!!

10/6/2002 5:58:06 PM

Sask, Canada

G... I don't really care to explain and Benface you should get that fishy smell checked out.

This is exactly the reason why alot of people keep their mouth shut about what they got in their patch and why I've decided to not post a grower diary next year or be as frequent a visitor to this site.

I'm sick of all the bitching about things (Pappy getting the screws, "Weigh'em when ya want Pappy...")and Tom Beachy getting screwed and people making comments like yours Benface....

I heard this all weekend from others even the event official's sad little joke's, Did you ever stop to think that comments like that however small and harmless is like rubbing salt into an open wound, These were my babies and it ripped my heart out and actually still gives me a sick sad feeling in the pit of my stomach even today for having to leave my 1000+ pounder in his patch and take "Wilbur"

But that is what I took, a fine looking pumpkin that officially weighed 633.5 lbs and won me my fourth place out of 49 entry's, Not Bad for a first year grower...

10/6/2002 11:35:31 PM

Sask, Canada

cont'd


My official PB is 633.5 lbs and an UOW by measurement (377.5 ott)of 1030 lbs which relates to the 633.5 Pearce '02 and the 1030 Pearce '02 (UOW)....

As for seeds there won't be any 633.5 Pearce '02 out there as "Wilbour" was auctioned off for charity and fetched the charity $650.00 from the West Edmonton Mall. I'll get about 50 seeds from "Jack" 1030 Pearce '02 for myself to self next year and for some other friends, the rest will be given away with instructions to local people who want to try and grow one for our first annual weigh-off here next year which by the way will be ran as an independent weigh-off site so there will be no politics.

My achievments in creating the "Thunder Creek" tomato variety and growing a personal best of 6.8lbs (4.3lbs this year) and now growing not only one but two fruit over my first year goal of 500lbs in Giant Pumpkins has proven to me my ability to grow "Giant Veggies" and that is all that matter's, So Like I said Benface ya should get that smell checked out because it sure isn't coming from here...

Good-Bye All,
Ernie
Giant Veggies

10/6/2002 11:35:47 PM

Knopp, Germany

See ya Ernie, been really nice reading all of your diary and message board entries. best wishes....owen

10/7/2002 1:21:37 AM

Ga.

Ernie,,you mean after all the advice,,seed,,and friends you made here,,you wont be donating any seed to BP.com for people like us to have a few seed from your 1030lb'er???

10/7/2002 8:18:28 AM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Right on, Ernie. It was great meeting such good sports like yourself and Smitty and yes.... Keep the politics outa here!
As for Benface and your insulting remark, it's guys like you that taint the sport and I think you owe Ernie an apopogy.

10/7/2002 10:09:43 AM

Edmonton, Canada

What would have smelt fishy????? I don't get it.

10/7/2002 10:47:33 AM

South Hill, Virginia

I wouldn't worry about it too much guys I've seen this whole senario play out here before. 12 year old shows up at the site, grows a 50 pound pumpkin, considers himself the fountain of all pumpkin knowledge, starts giving all kinds of sage advice about things he has never seen or done. They will grow up or go away eventually, either way we will be okay.

10/7/2002 11:02:44 AM

Connecticut, USA

Ernie,

Don't let one person spoil all the good you did this year. Your diary is an invaluable peice of information that people will learn from year after year (including you)...

10/7/2002 12:22:50 PM

North Ga

You gotta stay Ernie. Not too many people can say they "Met a really great guy from Moose Jaw"! Congrat's on your fruit, Grow em' BIGGER!

10/7/2002 12:43:36 PM

Cologne / Germany

Ernie, some growers stop talking about their pumpkins when things are starting to get "more than serious", don´t know if this is the right expression. I saw this phenomen even over here this year. Others don´t have a problem to talk about the sudden development of a monster as well as the day when this monster bites the dust.
Personally I would file myself to "others". It´s a hobby, and starting to take things too serious is like making something professional out of that hobby. As long as it is a hobby, one can share the good and bad times as no professional can do, others might even ask you about the sense of what you´re doing and you can reply "no sense - just relax" or whatever.
Insults, bitching - give them back what they deserve or just ignore (which seems to be the best way many times).
Please stay here as you showed all us bad weather growers how to hit that magic 4 digits number anyway! More than to be proud of, even understanding how it must hurt to end up with a hole in it.

10/7/2002 2:00:17 PM

Sask, Canada

Just to nip this in the butt before it gets out of hand, No I do not need an apology from anyone...

I simply (sort of) stated that I grow giant veggies period. I have gone through the year putting my heart and soul into my tomatoes and my pumpkins, spent countless hours babying them along from covering them for most of August due to cold weather, misting, feeding, weeding, watering and the list goes on, then comes weigh-off and what I wanted to keep a seceret and surprise people with actually didn't happen due to it being dropped when loading. Now because maybe I'm DOWN in the dumps about being that close people have the ability to get under my skin really easy and the little stupid comments really hurts.

But hey I'm a big guy I'll get over it, maybe I shouldn't have opened my mouth next year I won't, I don't like to make the same mistake twice. As well like I said earlier I've proven to myself what I can do and that is all that matters. The good thing is I know exactly how I went about growing "Jack" from charting every little thing to holding on in the end and I'll try a repeat next year or a three-peat and hey if it doesn't work out I don't really give a ---, because that is why I grow "Giant Veggies" pure personal satisfaction.

Yes I met a lot of good friends on here and seeds from "Jack" will be donated to this site for people to get.

As far as Benface is concerned I know where it is coming from as we had this happen not to long ago on this site when Ken had to go erase alot of his messages for language and stuff....

Folks I'll be around just not every day... so maybe I should have worded the ending different.

See Ya Later
Ernie
Giant Veggies

10/7/2002 4:17:53 PM

Sask, Canada

Pappy:

Don't forget about some of Fatbacks seeds, we'll trade for some of "Jack's" 5:1 ratio seems about right....LMAO

Ernie

10/7/2002 4:22:36 PM

colorado

Ernie, well done, 633 & 1030 is awesome!!!!!

10/7/2002 4:49:34 PM

Key West, FL

well excuuuuse me!!i sorry what i said was miss under stood, it sounded strange to me that you didnt even bring it and an exibition fruit. i didnt even get a chance to ask you about it before you all started calling me a little bitch or whatever. i enjoyed reading you diary. I dont know where you guys get off saying that im a real big taint on the sport and that im 12 and i act like i know everything. i used to respect all you guys now i dont, i even respected you ernie. thanks alot
im sure ernie that you dont use bad words or any of you do.

10/7/2002 6:11:54 PM

Key West, FL

oh and im sure no one here ever makes mistakes

10/7/2002 6:29:06 PM

North Ga

Hey Ben! Chill out dude! You are being way too defensive for someone that thinks they have done no wrong! Go with the flow and accept things for the way they are. We are each individuals and have feelings. You can really get in trouble if you express your feelings in a manner that may be offensive to someone that only knows you through script. Compose a private e-mail to anyone you have a gripe with and you can work it out much better. Don't dig your hole! Believe me! My 2 bits.

10/7/2002 7:39:18 PM

Liverpool , England

Yoooo Ernie,
Congrats man...what a way to go. See you here again man.

Alun

10/7/2002 7:55:30 PM

Key West, FL

ya deffinatly congrats on the pumpkin

10/7/2002 8:01:12 PM

Sask, Canada

I've friggin had it with you Benface, and this is the last time I'm going to reply to this type of post but somebody has to set you straight on a few points.

One: No what you said was understood and most on this site don't emply that what a fellow grower says is not the truth or smells fishy.

So how is it that a first year grower grows a thousand pounder and as well a 600 pounder well some is luck but alot of it is experience with agriculture/plants, remember I have grown giant tomatoes for quite a few years and pumpkins is not very much different other than variety and size.

Two: It would sound strange to you that I didn't take it as an exhibition fruit as I grow first for personal satisfaction and second for competition and not as a big show off, "look what I can do" like it sounds like you would do.

10/7/2002 8:52:09 PM

Sask, Canada

cont'd

Yes some guys take exhibition fruit to get it weighed any ways and some take fruit that is judged exhibition only, First like I said I grow for personal satisfaction and I am as proud as h e double l that I grew that baby that's what growing him was all about for me. But as well competition and I consider myself a sportsman, a proud grower, and a gentleman that is why I didn't take him and took my back-up instead, think about it if I had shown up with both pumpkins the extra work the lifters would have had to do, the extra time the judges would have taken to weigh him official or not, think of all those people pouring over the size and all the hipe of having a giant like that there, then think of Eric Hanna or Don Crews or Cathy Pederson these folks grew awesome fruit and deserved all the glory of growing there 1st 2nd and third place fruit and not having to be shadowed by an unofficial 1000 pounder do ya think the spectators really cared about the hole they couldn't even see unless they rolled it, what about the media interviews they deserved, me myself I would have rather taken my back-up which I did won my fourth place and feel priviledged to stand next to some of the best growers in Western Canada. They got there giants to the scales, I didn't and I'll have time now to come back take "Jack" to the local grain elevator and get him weighed so I know his official weight for my own personal knowledge.

10/7/2002 8:53:12 PM

Sask, Canada

cont'd

Third: As for your language you've been told before about it and was given a slap on the hand by others and as well Ken for his time you wasted to clean-up your childish behavour. This is a FAMILY site and my other grower friends as well as myself don't want that here. Our children should not have to learn about pumpkins from a punk using bad language.

fourth: Respect is something everyone deserves untill they them selves do something to take that away. So your post should read: "I'm really sorry I acted like a 12 year old and can't stop using foul language and I don't know "JACK" and I'm sorry I lost everyone's respect."

fifth: Bad words you bet, just ask Smitty or Darby or the nine guys that helped me lift "Jack" or better yet ask the guy who lost his grip on the tarp grabbed his stem ripped it off in trying to compensate for letting go of the tarp which strained the others and sent my baby smashing into the ground and pallet. You better beleive I used bad words, I think I even made complete sentences using nothing but bad words.

And finally sixth: Yes everyone here makes mistakes and if they say they don't they are liars that is apart of life, which reminds me this is what I keep telling my TWELVE year old. Your problem is you keep making the same one and not learning from it.

Have a nice Day...
Ernie
Giant Veggies

10/7/2002 8:53:42 PM

Sask, Canada

As you can see I was busy typing that last letter when Benface posted his latest post, any ways sorry all just having giant pumpkin growing withdrawls, I think I'll go see "Jack". See ya guys later.

Ernie

10/7/2002 9:03:38 PM

Key West, FL

i was just trying to get to the bottom of what happened, i finally know what happened, he got dropped. i never said that you wern't a nolligable (sp?) grower. sorry about "jack".

10/7/2002 9:40:25 PM

North Ga

Whoooo-Hooooooo!! I would much rather vent my frustrations here, than with my loved ones at home. LOL!

10/7/2002 9:40:51 PM

North Ga

Ya Ben, Your spelling is worse than even myne!! Yuck it up!LOL!!

10/7/2002 9:45:14 PM

Key West, FL

lol ya i just type to fast and dont proofread mabey i should, and i just cant spell. dopped lol

10/7/2002 11:34:52 PM

Edmonton, Canada

I think the message Ben, is think before you post!!! I'm sure you didn't mean to piss Ernie off, but you have to use some common sense.

10/8/2002 10:59:50 AM