From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Tacoma, WA

This was my first time for this tour of patches of the Ohio Valley. What an "eye opener"!

1. What great people! I've never seen so many growers together! Very friendly folk! Most congenial!

2. I've never seen so much grass surrounding houses in my life....very beautiful country landscapes.

3. I'm glad that I live in the Pacific Northwest this year!
What weather they had in store for us during the Sunday dinner....thunder, lightning and 1 1/2" rain in less than one hour! My heart goes out to those growers whose patches have been "washed out". I now know what "humidity" is!!

4. It will not be because of lack of equipment that Jerry
Rose will not hit a world record!!:>) What a great guy!

5. All the bad bugs of the world (above as well as underground) reside in the Ohio Valley....and they all love pumpkins!! :>(

Thanks so much for the great hospitality.......

Stan Pugh
PNWGPG

7/29/2003 6:42:44 PM

Montoursville, PA

At the possible risk of missing some who attended the Ohio Patch Tour I will just say representatives were there from sea to shining sea.

It was a blend of proven Heavy Hitters or World Class Pumpkin Growers, first year growers and everything in between. I was impressed with the percentage of younger growers with experience and the fact that age knew no boundries in the chat circles between meetings.

I was impressed with the willingness of all to share their opinions to any queston that was on the table at the time.

Two whole days of association within a seminar type activity
and I heard no negative baloney. People were there to have fun and to learn from each other. What a great bunch of guys and girls. When a little negative attempted to surface the chair quickly and wisely put it under the table. Kudos! Kudos! Kudos!

Kudos to the directors, officers and supporting members who made this event possible. I shall return and advise herein all who can to plan ahead for next year's event.

May I suggest opening on Saturday at 1PM with hourly roundtables until 4PM. Four general area subjects. Open Q and A within the subjective areas. Break for din din and resume at 7:30PM with a Heavy Hitters Round Table taking questions from the audience and reviewing the rountable notes. I would have liked to learn more about AGRO-K's Healthy Patch Healthy Plant Theories and Products. Bet they would chair one table for four hours next year.

As far as the evening panel goes you could have put a dozen at the head table this year easily who have grown World Class Pumpkins. You had exciting moderators to spare.

This weekend has been the best weekend of it's type that I have ever attended in my 66 years on the face of this earth. Maybe my first year's birthday party was better but I don't remember that to well.

7/29/2003 9:18:34 PM

huntsburg,ohio

Thanks Stan for the compliment.Good meeting you too.By the way that crummy 723 started picking up 5 inches cir. a day and the 1260 is doing 6 inches.Jerry

7/29/2003 10:04:06 PM

Leicester, NY

Stan,
It was great meeting you and many others for the first time. The patches we toured were phenomenal and I would say, watch for some big ones once again coming out of Ohio at weigh-off time..Joe P.

7/29/2003 10:42:14 PM

Choctaw, OK

Stan...." i now know what humidity is"....lol...thats funny. its one thing when its 100-105 out there in the west, in the desert. 90-95 plus a 70-75 degree dewpoint makes it feel like you are living in soup!
casey

7/30/2003 12:14:57 AM

Puyallup, WA

Casey....We hit 94° today! Nearly a record high temp!! This is the warmest summer I can remember. Humidity about 30%. :>) BTW, we are far from the desert....just five miles to Puget Sound.

7/30/2003 12:58:51 AM

Tipp City, Ohio

Stan, My first time at the patch tour and meeting you and many other Great Pumpkin Growers was great. Some of the best patches that I have ever seen. I learned a lot and have set more and different goals for next year!....Tom

7/30/2003 8:43:42 PM