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Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

How many weighoffs actually charge an entry fee for to enter your pumpkin? I know several that may require you to belong to an organization to be able to enter, but I'm talking about paying money to the sponsor to "enter" your pumpkin. Perhaps I'm out of line but Thanksgiving Point, Utah is charging 25$ to enter the weighoff, and I think that this is unreasonable. This is not dues or membership fees to any growers organization.

9/13/2003 12:52:41 AM

Covington, WA

I got the flier for Borchard Farms in Salinas the other day. They are charging an entry fee, I believe it was $20 which includes a T-shirt and two passes for the growers dinner after the weighoff. I won't be attending, but considering what you get it's not unreasonable.

9/13/2003 6:00:21 PM

Long Island,New York

I would think a wieghoff that charges 25 bucks to enter would limit its contestants to only those with giants they feel would win.....it would certainly eliminate half the fun, limit the schmoozing and learning by new guys, and Ill bet you'll see lotsa midsized fruits sitting in the back of pickup trucks in the parking lot....they drove in, checked out the competition, figgered they wouldnt win and it wasnt worth the 25 dollar fee so they just parked......G

9/13/2003 8:53:00 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Free entries in Caceres, Spain.
G is on the truth, and therefore he has reason in all he says... almost always. So I have to agree with hime, of course; and I do.

Carlos

9/14/2003 1:37:01 AM

North Ga

Nice observation G! I was thinking the same thing. Why bet on a loser!!

9/14/2003 1:49:43 AM

porterville, calif.

I looked at the rules from Thaksgiving Point. There is a 25.00 entry fee for adults. Then it says there is no charge for children I belive under 12. But when I looked more in to the rules there was a statement that there is a 10.00 registration fee. But It doesn,t say if that is per preson or for the whole family. Also it stated that there was a limit of 2 pumpkins per family. So if you have 3 kids who grew Pumpkins i guess 1 gets left out. My niece lives near there and does have 2 or 3 pumpkins going. 3 of her 4 children each have one they are growing. She wants to go and take her kids to she this and be part of it. But i doubt that she will want to fork out 25 to 50 dollars to have thier pumpkins weighed and knowing the ones her children grew won,t be as big as some of the others to make it worth thier while. To me if the fee like Salinas Charges came with a meal , Tee shirt that would be ok. But it doesn,t sound like Thanksgiving Point is offering much..Greg

9/14/2003 2:08:06 AM

North Ga

Where does that money go Brian?

9/14/2003 2:34:17 AM

North Ga

If it goes in the purse for the biggest pumpkins (or squash), I can understand but if its just lining pockets I say SHAME SHAME on you!!

9/14/2003 2:38:03 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Our Watermelon Contest doesn't have fees either.

Carlos

9/14/2003 7:29:54 AM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

I'm not sure where the money goes. I'm sure they will say that it goes for the purse money but the typical purse is 250$ for first place and essentially nothing for all other contestants. But for a multimillion dollar institution to have the opportunity to host the weighoff and not fork anything out is bogus. They use it for an opportunity to advertise for the farmers market, gardens and museums that are on the place. Yet contribute nothing but a parking lot and a scale, because the growers entracne fees are covering the prizes.
There are no other perks here. If it was membership dues for a growers organization I'd be fine with that. To cover the expense of T-shirt, hat, dinner ect. that would be easier to swallow.
And don't get me wrong I'm really not concerned with the 25$ that really a drop in the bucket to what I've spent growing these things, this is on principle.

9/14/2003 8:51:24 AM

Riverton, WY

Greg, I think that $10 entry fee was in last years rules. I think they just forgot to change the entry fee to $25 before posting the rules again.

9/14/2003 9:38:28 AM

Riverton, WY

Brian, I didn't mind paying the $10 fee last year to get a certified weight at a GPC event, but I agree that $25 is not a good idea. It will take the fun out of it for a lot of the people with smaller pumpkins. On the other hand, I believe there is a yearly fee of 500 dollars to be a GPC sanctioned event. (someone correct me if I'm wrong here) It seems like they should be able to round up another sponser if they feel like they need offset some of the costs.

9/14/2003 9:58:05 AM

Covington, WA

It sounds like they are trying to recoup their GPC site fee. All in all it seems like a poor practice. The local growers organization should be able to find some way to raise funds or find sponsorship in order to boost prize money, and any site that wishes to have a GPC sanctioned event should pony up the cash for the site fee. Or have the club pay the fee and they should cover the purse. Bring your pumpkins west guys. The PNWGPG has several weighoffs on the schedule. It may cost more in time and gas, but you'll meet a new bunch of great growers and have a good time without leaving with a bad taste in your mouth from haveing to pay to participate. The more the merrier.

9/14/2003 12:55:09 PM

Spanish Ontario

PORT ELGIN ONT weighoff fee is 25 dollars their is 26000 dollars in totalprize money over 2 days international weighoff pays 3500 dollars for first 1500 2nd an i believe 800 for third in total pays back 20 spots

9/14/2003 1:40:07 PM

South Hill, Virginia

I agree with you Brian. An entree fee like that is counterproductive. I imagine it will chase away many growers, especially the new ones. They don't have to pay me to bring my pumpkin but they definitely shouldn't charge me.

9/14/2003 11:03:25 PM

Farmington, Utah

Brian I agree. We bring in quite a bit of people to their site and those folks stay and spend money at thier stores and venues. We, the local growers of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, need to set up our own group as suggested above and find a sponsor(s) who is more committed to this. They gave out last year the same cash prize for a 70 lb watermelon as they did for the largest pumpkin. Poor management. We held our growers seminar there in April and they charged $10 per head. They collected their GPC fees then. We put the seminar on and they didn't even tell us thanks. We need to do something different for next year. Kenny Blair

9/15/2003 9:03:01 AM

Edmonton, Canada

Smoky Lake charges $10.

9/15/2003 11:28:47 AM

Farmington, Utah

Kevin Card and I talked with Thanksgiving Point. They have reduced the entry fee to $10. For the prize money, we don't know. Kevin has asked them to make it public. I was told that the prize money would be from the entry fees. Thanksgiving Point said to Kevin Card that they want to make a profit from their events. This is a contest sponsored by TP. I always thought that if a profit making establisment is sponsoring a contest, shouldn't they put up some prizes and not just the monies generated from the growers themselves. I was told that last years contest brought an estimated 300-400 spectators to their establishment, not to mention the free advertising that they recieved from the the broadcasts from the 4 tv/news stations here in the SLC metro area as well as the articles in the newspapers along the Wasatch front. They admitted that the weigh off has been a good attraction for them. They sure don't seem to show their appreciation though. I think that it is a small cost, and I do mean small cost, for them to get all the free advertising that is generated from this event. When Bruce Orchard took 2nd place a few years back and also set the new state record for Utah. He recieved absolutly nothing but for a few free passes to thier museum and a free cell phone if he signed up for cell phone service. The publicity that was generated because of Bruce's and Brian Christiansen's pumpkin that year generated TP an abundance of free advertising. WHAT A GREAT SPONSOR, TP???????? Let's wait and see if they do make public what the prizes will be. I wonder if they are going to take the money from the pumpkin entry fees to match the prize for the first place watermelon the same as the prize for the first place Pumpkin.

9/16/2003 10:40:14 AM

Utah

thanks for the update Kenny. Let me know if you need any help with anything.
gordon

9/16/2003 12:07:24 PM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

Thanks, I'm glad you were able to follow through with talking to them. I will still echo my voice for finding a new sponsor. Two weeks to the weighoff and they won't announce the prize money. Typical of how they mismanage things. Make some demands and if they won't agree to them organize your own weighoff and leave them in the cold.
As for me all this rucous has caused me to reconsider my plans for attending TGP. I think I'll use it as an excuse to attend Canby and see how things are done at a big weighoff.
If there is anything I can do to help let me know. But feel free to let them know that at least three growers (myself, Robin Henrie and Harold Jorgensen) that I know of won't be coming to Thanksgiving Point this year because of the way they run the weighoff.
Brian

9/16/2003 7:00:30 PM

Farmington, Utah

Brian, I am considering not taking my pumpkin to TP also. I should have a new state record. Why should I take it there and let them benefit from it. I am going to talk to the local Nusurey, J&L Garden Center, to see if they want to get a certified scale and I will weigh my pumpkin there. We will let the news stations know that there should be a pumpkin weighing over 800 lbs to be weighed there. I would like to see TP end up with nothing of significant size show up. Wouldn't that be impressive for them. I will tell Gary, at J&L, that all he needs to do is supply me the certified scale and witnesses. Do you think that this will be enough to have it a ligit weight? I am really getting disappointed with TP. The year I grew my 633 and a new state record, they gave me $100 and said that I had to leave my pumpkin there till Oct. 31st. In front of the crowd I gave them back their money and told them that they were in no way keeping my pumpkin for a prize of $100. It was worth more to me to see folks and the kids from the grade school come by and see my pumpkin. They were embarassed and said that I can keep the money. I told them to see how much more they would have to spend to buy a 600 plus pound pumpkin. I think that we need to find a different sponsor and run it ourselves. Any help out their on how to to this would be appreciated. Please email me or Brian C., Ron H., Bruce O., Kevin C., etc. with things we need to do for next year. Kenny B

9/16/2003 10:20:42 PM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

Kenny, Come up to Canby. I want to see what a thousand pounder looks like. I think the local nursery would jump at the chance to have a new state record at their place even if it is just for the afternoon.

9/16/2003 11:22:18 PM

porterville, calif.

Kenny you think you should do that. Im going to Canby this year.I decided after the spring meeting there that TP might not be fair to the growers. There were alot of good people there at that meeting. I bet if something different was set up they would go there. If something is set better next year I might come up there. I think TP is just very greedy and doesn,t want to share anything with any one.. If you do set something up let me know. My niece Heather Armstrong lives in West Jordan . 3 of her kids has pumpkins going. Her boy might have 1 go to 400lbs. She just might go where you go.I have tried emailing you, but think i have the wrong address. Hey sounds like you have a great one going. I hope you get the reconation you desevre for all your hard work at going these beautiful pumpkins.. Greg

9/17/2003 3:47:41 AM

It sounds like TP is doing better this year than last year. Last year they didn't even announce/comit to a weighoff two weeks prior.

I did think it was funny that they gave the same $$$ to the largest mellon as the largest pumpkin. Especially since there was only one mellon entered.

I had other issues with them and their lack of organization. Speaking for my family and friends that were there... we spent a lot of money.

Let's do something different.

I can make some calls. There are also a couple big nurserys up this way (J&J in Layton prpbably already has scales). Also, in Lehi (same location as TP Point) there is Nutri Mulch... I have spoke with them before. I could call them and see if they are interested.

So, the general sentiment is screw TP Point. It's safe to say that Kenny has the biggest. It seems appropriate to have it weighed there in Bountiful in front of the home crowd. Call me as I would be happy to make some calls and help get something lined up!

9/17/2003 10:46:29 AM

Hey Brian, are you saying you are going to Canby with yours?

If we do something other than TP Point and there are no, or little prize $$$... what would it take to get you to come here?

9/17/2003 10:48:18 AM

Utah

guess we need to rename this thread - thanksgiving point boycott. LOL!

9/17/2003 1:27:51 PM