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Paradise Mountain, New York

I was talking to two guys tonight about the weigh off at Oswego New York.They said that Joe Pukos won second place in the pumpkin contest with a big Squash that was 75 percent green. now if a Pumpkin is 50/50 i can see a close call. But if a pumkin is pretty much green, and i mean the whole thing, How can you call it a pumpkin? Now what do you other fellow growers think of this? These guys told me they where really upset that this was allowed and others say they will never go to Oswego again. I'm glad i decided to go to Altoona, Pa. At Altoona things are really ran fair

10/9/2002 11:30:18 PM

Key West, FL

its about the rib base color. bretts 1023 was pretty much 90% green but had orange to pink rib base

10/9/2002 11:55:02 PM

Korea

Well, times sure have changed since the 70's and 80's when I was growing big pumpkins and squash in Ohio. Back then all the big pumpkins and squash you have at the shows today would have had to be entered as squash. After all, orange, green, pink, red, striped, etc. They are all C. Maxima (winter squash). Is a red rose more or less of a rose as a white one? In the old days, only C. Pepo or C.Moschata could be entered as a pumpkin. The rule was easy: "Hard solid handle = Pumpkin, soft hollow handle = Squash.
I wish that were still the system. Then maybe we could have giant squash and ALSO some real big "real pumpkins". Have a nice day. :)

10/10/2002 1:50:42 AM

Connecticut, USA

It is NOT all about the rib base color at a GPC weigh-off site. The judges should have been going by the GPC rules. The fruit is supposed to be 75% "pumpkin colors". Pumpkin colors include orange, red, yellow, tan, cream, white, and/or combinations of these colors. Squash colors are green, gray, blue and/or combinations of these colors. See the GPC News message board for the complete GPC color rule. I did not see the fruit in person so I cannot give an opinion on the ruling.

At Topsfield the judges took a long hard look at my pumpkin too. They finally judged it as a pumpkin but they were trying to decide on the percentage of green. The pumpkin had started to go green around the stem end (as the often do). The shape of my fruit helped as the blossom end had much more surface area then the stem end.

10/10/2002 6:49:39 AM

Leicester, NY

PumpkinBrat,
3 judges spent a very long time going over my fruit at Oswego. It did have a lot of green in it, but there was lots of creamy color that counted as pumpkin along with lots of orange. I entered it as a pumpkin, but told the judges right at the scales, whatever they decided on was fine with me. I would have set a new squash record for NYS and probably would have received more money for a higher place finish in the GPC. I don't grow giant pumpkins/squash to make people mad at me, I just love growing giant fruit and getting them weighed, it's that simple...Joe Pukos

10/10/2002 7:57:31 AM

Edmonton, Canada

That's the way it should be Joe. Congrats on growing a biggie!

10/10/2002 10:30:16 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Pumpkinut, Joe I'm not saying your dishonest. But Five guys are going to write to Hugh Wiberg who is a head of the GPC. Rule number 6 under the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Rules states : a pumpkin must be 75 to 100 percent color of a pumpkin. meaning orange, red, yellow, tan , cream. all I can say is that there is a lot of people really mad at how things are ran at Oswego. These Five growers said they might never go to Oswego again. Joe, did you also know that 3rd and 4th place guys have not received there money yet. The guy who won 3rd was never announced as winning 3rd. The two guys, 3rd and 4th went to the guy who ran the show and complained about there winning. The guy who placed 4th was given a check for $ 500.00 for being said he won 3rd. The guys who won 5th and 6th took off with there money and should have been winners 6th and 7th.So what if the guys who placed 3rd and 4th never get there money? The Oswego weigh off will have to make up the money some how. As how the award money was given to the wrong people who won the places they placed and who didn't place right with the others. I have talked to guys who once went to Oswego and said they don't go there anymore because they don't like how the site is ran.

10/10/2002 1:04:46 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

I would have to agree with KEN D. on what he said about the rules he posted. all I can say is, if growers who come to Oswego are not treated with the way RULES are wrote then Oswego is going to get a bad name for it's self.I went to the Altoona's weigh off and there was Pumpkins half yellow and green and called squash. Ones that where more so GREEN where called Squashes. by what I saw as the way things where ran in Altoona, i'll always go to Altoona. Pa. Things are really fair and ran by all the rules

10/10/2002 1:12:52 PM

Webster, NY

I saw Joe's pumpkin at Oswego and even though I'm not an expert I would still say that a good 75% of it was cream colored and therefore should be a pumpkin. Just my humble opinion...

10/10/2002 2:47:09 PM

Erin,Ontario.

Way to go Joe!
Pumpkinbrat,as you were not even at the Oswego weigh off,I suggest you have no idea of what you are talking about,and should therefore shut it.
Congrats again Joe.

10/10/2002 4:48:59 PM

Long Island,New York

LOL....You mean there's a color problem? I thought there was a landmark decision that fixed that?...LOL....G

10/10/2002 5:07:37 PM

Key West, FL

well mabey it wasnt 90% green but it was pretty green and i believe the pgvg have different rules than the gpc, and i think they are about rib base color. my opinion of the rules should be if its pure green squash. anything but 100% green, green blue, gray, (hopefully there aren't and gray things)is a pumpkin.

10/10/2002 5:53:39 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

ManUman, what is the difference between green and Orange? if it was you and you had a big orange pumpkin and you where beat by a green pumpkin, how would you feel. After all fair is fair, and it won't belong as to this making striker rules for other grows in the years to come

10/10/2002 7:17:03 PM

Western NY

ok,i was at oswego in 2000, and have gone to altoona for the last 2 years. now, i will agree that osewgo has problems. they need to get their site coordinator removed, or hopefully he will get an attitude change. BUT, to say that 1. joe's fruit should have been ruled a squash, and 2. that all other sites (including altoona) play completely by the rules is false.

first of all, i saw joe's fruit in late august. it was 100% cream and pink colored. i'm sure joe or jerry rose has the pictures. i can't believe that his fruit greened up enough that a majority of pumpkin growers who know the difference would have called it a squash.

second, i'm not going into any details, but the rules on color at altoona are not the strict GPC color rules. they are interperted by a few of the loyal growers there to go with what most growers that i know think the rules should be, as long as there isn't a possibility of GPC money involved with squash. i was privy to the discussion before the weighing started, and i was completely comfortable with what went on. but to say that oswego is the only place that something like that goes on is wrong. did you see the first place squash at oswego this year?

Andy


Andy

10/10/2002 7:26:55 PM

Long Island,New York

Most wieghoffs seem to be disregarding the GPC rule on color these days for the site contests...and supposedly reclassifying if neccessary for GPC big ones that will contend.In the past some havent even reclassified.Personally, I think a squash is obvious from day 30...and as long as the offwhite/creamy colored ones are considered pumpkins the argument to keep a pumpkin orange is a joke. If you werent actually there, you have no say whatsoever....pictures lie............G

10/10/2002 7:43:30 PM

Kentucky - USA

Until they come out with some hightech laser scanner that will return the percentage of certain colors on a pumpkin I think they should all be classified as squash..LOL

I know I would hate to be a judge(me being about half color blind anyway) in determining if it is a squash or a pumpkin.

TAdams

10/10/2002 7:45:49 PM

Key West, FL

lets make a new class of squampkin! it has to have a green and a pumpkin color

10/10/2002 7:51:26 PM

Deer Park WA

Yikes, man I'm glad we stayed out of this one......
Congrats to ALL growers who managed to get one "up there" and for their contribution to the sport!

The Gadberry's

10/11/2002 2:16:26 AM

Connecticut, USA

In my opinion any GPC site that "makes up its own rules" should go. Why do we have rules anyway?!? DOH! Even if GPC money is not involved the rules are about leveling the playing field on a national basis.

On a brighter note, congrats Joe!!! Going over 1000 again! You are truly a "heavy-hitter"!

10/11/2002 6:41:41 AM

Knopp, Germany

i'm a newbie, remember that when you read my question.

is there a national, international...set of rules for what is a pumpkin, what is a squash, what makes one official, exh, etc.....and if so, is there a web link to same?

thanks for helping a newbie understand all of this......owen

10/11/2002 11:08:57 AM

ontario

Joe great job.....everyone live with the decision....if everyone is so upset,write your governing body and change the rule.....or better yet join the Governing body and seat there trying to figure out all the possibilties.........ok how about three classifications...pumpkins....others .and squash...those that are not orange are others those that aren't green or blue are others...would that create a mess.....wayne

10/11/2002 4:10:07 PM

Cornelius, Oregon

This is why the PGVG went to a more clear cut color rule. No my fruit was not pretty, but by God I am proud of it and our sponsers didn't mind at all.

10/11/2002 6:52:19 PM

Key West, FL

You should be brett! Im proud to be a member.

10/11/2002 10:51:06 PM