From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Bloomfield, Iowa

Good luck to early tomato growers from now on. Here is the rules change. //Added - Home scales or home business scales are not
considered within this contest. All scales must be in
permanent location at a impartial public place of
business, i.e. supermarket, deli and legal for trade.
Just so you know most businesses don't certify their scales annually and are not legal for sales. That goes for USPS, UPS and FED EX too. You better start looking now to see who is legal. You will have to work at finding one in most areas that are.

4/13/2026 3:38:10 PM

Central NY

Pretty sure that was the rule.

4/13/2026 4:56:26 PM

Bloomfield, Iowa

So my portable scales that are certified by the State Weights and Measures guy that certifies my and the weighoff scales and weights at the Iowa State Fair, Bloomfield Giant Pumpkin Bash and Anamosa Ryan Norlin Pumpkin weighoff are not good enough before a weighoff event. Even though we use my certified scales at our weighoff event. Doesn't make since. My scales aren't stationary and have always passed on calibration checks. If someone is not videoing the actual state certified sticker and naming 2 other impartial witnesses and showing their whole fruits then don't recognize their weights. My scales are certified annually for me selling tomatoes at Farmers Markets. Most, and I mean most businesses do not. People better find one now, not on the day they want to weigh.

4/13/2026 7:17:24 PM

Iowa

Dave has a point. Are the same standards going to be required at all the weigh-off sites this fall?

4/13/2026 8:27:54 PM

Grittyville, WA

Weigh offs are at public places, right? I dont know of any that aren't. So, check that box, anyhow...

4/14/2026 12:02:03 AM

Grittyville, WA

It's crazy that official businesses like the USPS would not certify their scales but you're right I think many places do not... It makes me wonder how many gas stations dont get their pumps checked properly!

Good idea to begin paying attention now to who has a certified scale with tags visible and who doesnt.

PS its nice to bring spare seed packets for whoever lets you use their scale?

[Last edit: 04/14/26 9:24:43 AM]

4/14/2026 9:22:28 AM

Maine

I stopped at my local grocery store yesterday and asked them about weighing a tomato and they said no problem! they have their scale recertified and calibrated once a year by law.

4/15/2026 6:26:38 AM

Maine

I'm out of the loop but wasn't this always the rule for early tomato contest? but last season the GPC let one person break the rules?

4/15/2026 6:28:27 AM

Nova Scotia

Not a tomato grower but from what I have read and heard, it has been a difficult task and time trying to establish a "sound solid" set of rules for the Early Tomato part of GPC over all tomato results! And to enforce it best to their ability. It's a job I certainly would not want trying to monitor every tomato weighed and entered by individual growers from around the World! Personally I think they should be all entered at a GPC site like everything else. HOWEVER I also understand as to why the "Early Tomato", due to the perishable nature of the tomato. Also some common sense here as well regarding scales at a retail business such as Dave alluded to earlier. Anyway let's hope all goes well.

4/15/2026 9:43:51 AM

Grittyville, WA

I think the gpc ought to be able to make exceptions to their rules as some growers might need special accommodations for legit reasons. But perhaps those growers should discuss their issue with the gpc well ahead of time rather than at the last minute.

In these days of AI videos it's not a good idea to say a video is good enough evidence. Imagine (with free AI video editing tools) how easy it would be to fake what the scale reads in a video. Certainly not saying that anyone has done this. It's only an issue looking forward. So... it really comes down to live witnesses at a location open to the public.

[Last edit: 04/15/26 10:56:12 AM]

4/15/2026 10:51:20 AM

Grittyville, WA

The gpc has my support, as do all the other growers. I'm supportive of the past & current decisions. I've not encountered any ill intentions. Pulling strings is entertaining but I dont want to cause the whole thing to unravel.

4/15/2026 11:10:12 AM