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Rhode Island

CALLING ALL EUROPEAN GIANT PUMPKIN AND GREEN SQUASH GROWERS.

WHERE DO YOU PRESENTLY WEIGH YOUR GIANT VEGGIES?

WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM AND HOW MAY WE (THE GPC) HELP YOU?

IM TOLD THAT SOME OF THE BEST GROWERS IN THE WORLD ARE LIVING SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE, JUST DYING TO GET THERE GIANT PUMPKIN OR SQUASH RECOGNIZED OUTSIDE OF THERE GROWING AREA.

NOW IS THE TIME TO INQUIRE ABOUT JOINING THE GPC RATHER THAN SUMMER WHEN EVERYONE ( YOU FOLKS IN EUROPE AS WELL )ARE BUSY GROWING PUMPKINS.

THANKS

DICK "PAP" WALLACE
PAPSBUICK56@AOL.COM

2/11/2007 1:21:48 PM

South East

i dont know if thers a gpc weigh off in the netherlands or iff there are even enough grower her but a weigh off in the netherlands would shurley atracct belgian and geman growers maybay some brittisch to.

2/11/2007 5:08:14 PM

Netherlands

There is no GPC in Holland. I weigh them at home. The closest real weighoff for me is in Belgium which is up to 6 hours away.

The middle of Holland and then close to the German border would make it possible for Belgian, Dutch and several German growers.

As far as Dutch growers are concerned here is a list of serious growers ranked according to their heaviest pumpkins.

Harry Poel
Iwan Horde
Brad Wursten
Jan Peek
Jaap Mol
Theo Kiewiet
Arie van Dijk
Frans van der Els

and coming up: Frank Finders

There are quite a few other growers but not in the competition range.

The Belgians of course have two of their own weighoffs: Duisburg and Kasterlee. They might not be interested in joining a GPC but some of the Belgian growers on this site will have to comment on that.

I am sure there are a number of German growers that would come though seeing as there aren't many weighoffs in Germany and not everybody is too happy with the big one being held there.

Frank, you might be the one with the know-how to get this off the ground. I think the Arnhem area would be a good central place. Good highways leading straight to Germany and a good connection to Belgium and the north of Holland (where Theo and I live).

It might be more interesting in Holland to get more giant veg categories in there as well. I have done some thinking about starting up a weighoff here with a variety of giant veg to make it more interesting. Prize money is not that terribly important, I don't think. Especially for other giant veg, a ribbon would be fine.

2/12/2007 2:17:06 AM

Rhode Island

We ( the gpc) would like very much to hear from Duisburg and kasterlee Dutch Brad. If you can would you get this message out to them?

What better way to promote this wonderful hobby then to be part of a large world wide organization?
Here in the USA and CANADA some of our weigh off sites are only a short ride from each other. We just do not like these sites to hold their weigh offs on the same date.

We welcome any communication and are activly seeking new clubs/sites from europe.
Our award programs and club/site incentives will continue to grow as the organization grows.

Europe can and should be a big part of this growth.

Italy came on board last year as well as a couple weigh off clubs/sites this year from Germany.
The more the merrier. Something that everyone can enjoy and prosper at.

Thanks for the reply

Dick Pap Wallace

2/12/2007 1:23:37 PM

Rhode Island

I have heard back from Mr. finders and am happy to say he is getting the ball rolling .

We ( THE GPC) just need others to also stand up to be counted.

The love of seeing a giant growing in your yard or garden is something magical that all must be allowed to enjoy via these weighoffs and community sponsored events.

BEING PART OF A WORLD ORGANIZATION THATS MANAGED WITH EVERYONES INTEREST AT HEART, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER UNDER ONE BANNER ,HELPING AND SHARING FOR A COMMON GOAL, IS WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT.

pap

2/12/2007 1:33:59 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Hello Pap,I'm sergio from Italy, my club president, want to know if we need of renew the GPC adhesion for the 2007 season, or cause we have spent $300 last year, we no need renew
Just let me know
Sergio

2/12/2007 2:44:17 PM

Belgium

Duisburg is a WPC weigh-off.In Kasterlee is an weigh off the last weekend from october. It has nothing to do with WPC or GPC. But on this weigh of are the best growers from Belgium. The Belgium all time top ten find you here :
484,5kg Boonen Jef 2005 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
484,5kg Boonen Paul 2006 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
472kg Van Rompaey Jan 2006 Putte Grasheide ( squash )
465,5kg Vanheuckelom Luc 2005 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
461kg Berrens Luc 2006 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
447kg Verachtert Jos 2003 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
445kg Cuypers Leo 2005 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
444,2 Boonen JP 2006 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
423,1 Boonen Frans 2006 Kasterlee ( pumpkin )
What can give a GPC weigh off more than a weigh off like we have here in Kasterlee ?
What need we to do so that we may call it a GPC weig off ?
You can mail me at luc.lief@versateladsl.be

2/12/2007 4:33:26 PM

Rhode Island

yes sergio the $300.00 is a yearly fee.

this money goes into your gpc treasury and is used to fund not only ribbons and banners but trophy plaques, cash awards. administrative expences, expansion costs, and soon to be internet fees, to name a few.

thanks for inquiring. we look forward to italy showing well again this fall.

the question is ( in a friendly manner ) will your group be able to survive the other new european sites come scale day? lol

dick

2/12/2007 5:54:50 PM

Rhode Island

thanks luc

being a member of oue sngpg im familiar with your name. ill send you a private email

ps ---- i did not know the wpc even had a site left other than the one in clarence ny?

most sites over the years have switched over to the great pumpkin commonwealth. we have better competition and a larger arena of sites to compete with and against.

dick

2/12/2007 6:00:26 PM

Lymington UK

Hi Pap
As I’m sure you have heard that Malc and I are setting up a new club (Xtreme Pumpkin Growers) with the soul intention of having are own GPC weigh off in the UK. We have a lot to do but we WILL be having a GPC weigh off in UK whatever. So any info we need to have would be welcome, we have 5 members already lol
Keep up the good work Ian

2/12/2007 6:11:43 PM

Rhode Island

ian

email me with any questions and ill get the ball rolling by forwarding them to our gpc ex commottee,etc.
keep up the good work.
my email addy is listed under this original post.

thanks

pap

2/12/2007 9:26:01 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Pap, we will able in to survive to the other clubs, but we need of a very big pumpkin (Italian record is 891 lbs)I hope we will have one this year, but if will be not so, I will put in to the pumpkin cavity a quantity of lead molten,
untill I'll have the weigh that I want!!!!!!!!!!
LAUGHINGLY LOL!!!!
Sergio

2/13/2007 12:49:56 PM

Belgium

pap, you can see the Duisburg (BPC) result from 1997 untill 2006 on our website: http://home.tiscali.be/pompoenclubgrasheide ,then click on the button "Duisburg" here you can find the results (excel). The official BPC-site is: http://www.geocities.com/bpcduisburg/

2/13/2007 3:48:11 PM

Belgium

all the weights shown are in kilograms...

2/13/2007 3:50:12 PM

Louth , Ireland

I'm growing here in Ireland.
The irish weigh-off is help in Granard and
is run excellently by Mr.Molloy.
Attendance is the only thing which hampers the event
as a whole.I don't think there is much
you can do about this however,if a grower doesn't fancy his chances he/she will not make the journey to Granard.
Result= a ( chuffed) rookie won second prize in 2006.

Paddy

2/14/2007 4:52:23 PM