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President - GPC

Your GPC committee has been hard at work reviewing necessary changes to improve the processes in all phases for our growing community. These Major changes are listed below. And will be updated within our GPC Bylaws, and appropriate rules and regulations on GPC1 website by JAN 01 2023.

We still need to review GPC fruit categories prior to Jan 1 regarding minor tweaks to individual fruit categories to make it easier for our judges at weigh off time. Those will be released soon, however I want to post what we have already hashed out during our Sunday meetings. I am very proud of the work done by all on this committee, it was a team effort, we took lots of time trying to cover all the issues that occur when MAJOR changes happen. Some of these changes will not be embraced by all however, the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one.... And we have a limited budget.

Let's GROW

Wizzy
President GPC

12/9/2022 11:56:55 AM

President - GPC

The GPC has been working hard to update MAJOR changes to reflect our growing environment across the board in several different areas. These changes are effective January 1, 2023.

The OLD GPC Growers “Bomber” Jacket has now been Sunset!

Due to limited availability of sizes, higher costs, and extreme poor quality, the GPC has voted to discontinue the current “GPC Bombers Jacket”. There are similar jackets available from other vendors, however the costs of those jackets are cost prohibitive, subject to future changes of availability & sizes and constant change. Simply said, the old jackets are no longer viable or sustainable going forward.

12/9/2022 11:58:28 AM

President - GPC

New GPC Gen 2 Jacket.

Starting Jan 1, 2023, the GPC will be awarding a new GEN 2 Soft Shelled, state of the art, Growers Jacket. This new Gen 2 jacket award will still maintain the GPC patch on the back with the Growers name on the front, a same look as the old jackets, but on a new soft shell. Patches can be sewn by the grower on the jackets by the grower if desired. This jacket has a high availability with the manufacture and should be available long into the future.
Only One Gen 2 jacket will be provided by the GPC to a grower in their lifetime.

12/9/2022 11:59:33 AM

President - GPC

RESET - 2023

Criteria.

All growers will be eligible to be awarded a new GPC Gen 2 Jacket starting January 1st, for the 2023 growing season. Keep your old ones, wear them proudly. To receive a new GPC Gen 2 jacket, you must simply meet the awards criteria already specified in the current GPC Award Requirements for future growing years.
The GPC will provide new re-earned award category patches on these new Gen 2 Jackets. No previously earned patches will be available for purchase. Earn them all again for your new Jacket, as you qualify for each category level. It’s a total RESET for ALL Growers.
Please Note - Some of those award requirements are also changing in 2023!

12/9/2022 12:00:48 PM

President - GPC

GPC Jackets earned 2020,2021.
Previous Crappy GPC Jackets issued during the pandemic years 2020 and 2021 will be replaced this year with the new Gen 2 Jacket. If you were fortunate enough to earn your jacket in the years 2020,2021, the GPC will replace that jacket with the new Gen 2 jacket. The Gen 2 jacket will be available at the 2023 Danvers GPC International Growers Convention in March! If you can’t attend the convention in person, or find someone to pick up your jacket, the grower can opt to have them shipped to them at their own expense after the convention. Or wait to pick it up at a club spring meeting in 2023 via GPC Reps.

12/9/2022 12:01:11 PM

President - GPC

4000 pound jacket club > Now 4,300 pounds. The 4000 patch/club award has been Sunset!

4,300-pound Jacket Club – Awarded to the grower who accumulates a total of 4,300 pounds of pumpkins, squash, or combination of each between their three heaviest fruits, following the same rules as the “Grower of the Year” award. The award is a patch that can be sewn onto the grower’s jacket. If a grower makes it into the 4,300-pound club without previously being awarded a Gen 2 grower’s jacket, they will be awarded one for making the 4,300-pound club.
This award will be given to the grower or “team” (as defined within Article 2, Section 1 of the GPC Rules) who accumulates 4300 pounds combined from three official fruit weighed at three separate sanctioned GPC events (only Premium registration levels will be eligible for this award).
Even if a grower reaches the minimum weight qualification, they still need to meet the 3-site requirement with a qualified fruit in the same category for the award! The GPC will recognize the top three official fruit entered at a minimum of three separate sanctioned GPC events. A grower may enter in more than three GPC events but only the three heaviest fruits will count.

*Note> A pumpkin, and a squash will still be recognized at a single sanctioned event, the qualification for the 4,300-pound Jacket Club is THREE separate GPC sites events.

12/9/2022 12:01:52 PM

President - GPC

Grower of the Year award (GOTY)–

This award will be given to the grower or “team” (as defined within Article 2, Section 1 of the GPC Rules) who accumulates the most total pounds combined from three official fruit weighed at three sanctioned GPC events (only Premium registration levels will be eligible for this award). The GPC will recognize the top three official fruit entered at a minimum of three separate sanctioned GPC events, A grower may enter in more than three GPC events, but only the three heaviest fruits will count. The grower must be present with their fruit at all events to be eligible.

*Note> A pumpkin, and a squash will still be recognized at a single sanctioned event, the qualification for the Grower of the Year award (GOTY)– is Three separate GPC sites events.

12/9/2022 12:02:37 PM

President - GPC

New fruit/vegetable GOTY awards

New in 2023

Expands now across all GPC recognized categories. The top Grower from each category will now be recognized. The top grower within each recognized fruit/vegetable category will now be awarded with a current year’s patch for their grower’s jacket. If a grower does not have a new GPC Gen 2 Jacket, they will awarded a new Gen 2 jacket.

Only One Gen 2 jacket will be provided by the GPC to a grower in their lifetime.
This award will be given to the grower or “team” (as defined within Article 2, Section 1 of the GPC Rules) who accumulates the most total pounds/inches combined from three official fruit entered at three sanctioned GPC events. The GPC will recognize the top three official fruit entered at a minimum of three separate sanctioned GPC events.

A grower may enter in more than three GPC events, but only the three heaviest/measured fruits/vegetables will count.

12/9/2022 12:03:37 PM

President - GPC

As one can see, these changes are MAJOR, and took a lot of discussion time to make it as BEST we could growing forward.

As stated earlier, there will be some more minor tweaks coming for all fruit categories as we review them in the next coming meetings.

GROW BIG
Let's GROW

Kind Regards,

Gary J Grande > WiZZy
President GPC

12/9/2022 12:05:41 PM

Marion,IN

WiZZy, what is the weight of a single fruit a grower has to weigh in order to get a patch? I know it has be within so many pounds of the record, but I'm not sure what the exact weight is currently.

Good day to you sir! Mark G.

12/9/2022 12:29:27 PM

President - GPC

Mark,

The 2200 lb single fruit qualification DID NOT change for the 2023 season. The committee specifically voted to leave this unchanged, but to reconsider it in 2023.

12/9/2022 2:02:23 PM

President - GPC

That is for a patch and Gen 2 growers jacket single fruit 2200 lbs. If you want to get a patch, then its 4300 Jacket Club rules which are listed above, or a GOTY Top 1 in the other categories, all which specify 3 different weigh offs, and the top grower of the year in that specific category. Also listed above! New rules will be posted on GPC1 for the 2023 season, soon.

12/9/2022 2:06:22 PM

Saegertown Pa.

(only Premium registration levels will be eligible for this award). interesting rule change.

12/12/2022 2:52:49 PM

President - GPC

That is not a new rule change, but is going to be taken out anywise per our GPC meeting.

12/12/2022 4:44:51 PM

President - GPC

All of our growers that enter a GPC weigh off are eligible for GPC Awards, as was this year, even with the old rule.

12/12/2022 4:48:05 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

I would like to offer an observation. Of the 8 fruit categories in the GPC, 7 of them are able to hold on the vine (in most cases). Tomatoes are not. Tomato growers try to take their largest fruits to events, at times sacrificing some weight to do so. But the majority of Giant tomatoes are entered thru the Early Tomatoes route. I did a cursory review of the 2022 tomatoes on the GPC list. Of the top 25 fruits, 7 were weighed at events, while 18 were entered through Early tomatoes.

1/9/2023 5:40:19 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

Now we could adapt to this rule change by putting the majority of our plants in the ground later. But this isn’t the best season to grow tomatoes. Growers will discuss this & I encourage the GPC committee to discuss it as well. I just don’t think this rule fits with how maters are grown. Maybe we could make a compromise & say 1 or 2 have to be entered at events.

1/9/2023 5:46:58 PM

On a cliff in the desert

I would prefer at least 2 at an event just because more scrutiny of fruits and more witnesses.

1/9/2023 7:42:29 PM