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Sask, Canada

Well what a fitting end to this crazy year, Have 5 sitting in the yard on pallets waiting for the weigh-offs, one taping to 800 +lbs and could be first at Smoky Lake.

You think that is good... ???

Not really after this year and the damage to the house, roughly $45,000.00 our resources are tapped. Yes insurance picked up most of the tab but only roughly 70% with depreciation. Keeping our bills up to date and heads above water we find ourselves to close to call.

So by the looks of it we are calling it quits, we don't want to risk losing the cost of renting a truck. gas and exspenses (roughly $1,500.00) to not being able to recoup the cost in prize money...

Yes I said prize money and we are not into this for the money but we need what we have left to feed and take care of the family, not willing to take the chance by using bill money to attend the weigh-offs in Smoky Lake.

The other grower in Moose Jaw has also pulled out because of money and has left us either paying the full shot or not going.

Well good luck to all in Smoky Lake this year, hope to see you next year...


TTYL
Ernie & Katrina Pearce
Giant Veggies & Mrs. GV

9/24/2004 7:45:35 PM

Wichita, KS

Ernie,

I've niticed you mentioning the damage to your home a couple of times, but I just don't remember a post that describes what happened to your home. I just did a search and I've looked through your diary. I could have missed it easily enough. It must have been awful, but what was it? sounds to me like you are making a good decision, though. Good luck next year. I wonder if there is a certified scale in operation anywhere nearby your home so you can at least weigh your fruit?

Toby

9/24/2004 8:11:10 PM

Sask, Canada

First let me clear this up, it does not depend on the other grower here if we attend or not. As it seems in my last post, as I re-read it... We were going to share cost but it is our situation that we have opted out.

As far as our damages Toby, we had a sewage back-up in our basement.

Some think oh well that isn't much, well it was roughly 8" through out the entire basement. Our house is two floors with a fully finished basement which includes our bedrooms, rec room, laundry room, bathroom and storage area. Up stairs is our living room a bathroom and kitchen.

Because of sewage everything it touched had to be thrown out, furniture, appliances, carpet, personal items (clothes, toys etc.) interior walls. basically our finished basement was stripped out to the four exterior walls. All concrete was cleaned and everything else was rebuilt. Rooms, walls, doors, shower etc. etc. and everything replaced. Bedroom furniture.........etc.

It was not fun, two adults, two kids and two dogs living in a living room for two months.

The main reason why we stayed in the house upstairs sleeping on one mattress on the living room floor instead of going to a hotel as suggested by the insurance company
was because 1) we didn't feel right about putting our dogs in a kennel for two months and 2) Our pumpkins required daily care which we felt would stretch our time thin with work and all going back and forth.

Yes we have government grain elevators to weigh our fruit for a certified weight, I just hope they realize how much we went through to raise and care for them in our time of difficulty and unfortunately they won't get to the finish they were raised for....

TTYL
Ernie
Giant Veggies

9/24/2004 10:58:22 PM

Taber, Alberta

Hey Ernie, it's too bad to hear you won't be going. I know it's quite the undertaking to drag some big fruit quite a distance to a weigh-off. I've got a 7 1/2 hour drive ahead of me. If my 716 would not have developed it's hole, I would have had a heck of a time getting it there.
We did major renovations to our entire upstairs and for 4 weeks our lives (along with 2 small kids and a dog) was turned upside down. I can't even imagine going through what you did and still produce the pumpkins you did. I know it's not the way we'd all like our pumpkins weighed, but I hope they all go heavy for you.
Hopefully we can get together before Smoky Lake 2005.
Alan

9/26/2004 11:55:16 PM

Edmonton, Canada

Hey Ernie, I hope that next year brings you better fortunes. I hope to see you in 05.

9/27/2004 10:17:01 AM

Minnesota([email protected])

Best wishes to you Ernie.
That pumpkin is a beauty; please let us know what it weighs.
I hope next year is better for you.

Regards,
Doug

9/27/2004 12:18:26 PM