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On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

With all of this talk about seeds selling for less and seed counts being altered, why is this? Is it about money? Who needs this money and why? Is it because clubs need the dough for operations? Or, is it for prizes? Does it have anything to do with growers competing or because of clubs competing? Do people grow pumpkins for personal satisfaction, bragging rights or prize money or all of the above? A considerable amount of money is spent by clubs on prizes. And then that money has to be raised. Why is that? What would happen if the GPC put a limit on prize money to say $500 first place, $250 second and $100 third. And you can only enter one contest for prize money, ribbons etc. How would a change like that affect Giant Pumpkin Growing? Would a lot of people quit growing? Who would they be? Would giant pumpkin growing die out? Consider that most growers never win anything. Why do they keep growing pumpkins? It can't be about money. Maybe it is just about growing a big pumpkin and watching it expand in their garden right before their eyes and the opportunity to grow one bigger than thye ever did and maybe even bigger than everyone elses? And what does this have to do with money? People growing long gourds, tall corn, giant canteloupes and giant tomatoes certainly are out there competing and it can't be for prize money since there really isn't any and seeds are pretty cheap for these. What do you think? Go back in time. Why did Howard Dill grow giant pumpkins? Why are you growing them? And,why do clubs really need money? What are clubs spending their money on? Had to say it. Doubt anything will change much. But maybe. I hear a lot of growers bragging about their biggest pumpkin. But I have never ever heard anyone brag about or even mention how much money they won. Have you?

12/4/2011 9:38:09 AM

canal winchester ohio

Marv, I made my post about my idea on it because some people were passing the buck onto "non pumpkin" auctions as the problem for dropping prices & I wanted to float a alternative idea.

12/4/2011 10:51:24 AM

canal winchester ohio

And as far as money, I don't grow for the money BUT if I had a potential world record pumpkin & say the Ohio Valley for example was paying the most for the next world record I would probably go there because I could use the money & would be a fool not to try to win something I needed. If the big prizes wasn't there I would still grow though

12/4/2011 10:55:44 AM

Muddy Waters

All of the above Marvin,The money makes it more exciting.I would grow for nothing its in my blood.Why have the Detroit lions been playing 50 years without a great season?lol Nothing will change to much its all talk & hype.No reason to panic folks .Its all good!

12/4/2011 6:17:54 PM

Johnston, R.I.

For me growing pumpkins is one way to keep a retired guy semi sane.. I mainly grow for my own satisfaction and for the entertainment of my neighbors.. It is really not about the money because I have spent much more than I have won.. This hobby is about hard work, good friends and fun to me, and when the fun stops so will I.......

12/4/2011 6:27:37 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Great post Norm..good for you!

12/4/2011 6:44:26 PM

Frankfort Ohio

I grow because the kids love pumpkins it keeps me home wife likes that part and if you think about how much you would spend if your evenings were not tied up it really is a cheap hobby

12/4/2011 7:03:25 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

this is turning into a nice thread - I'd like to hear more stories of your motivation to grow - Norm's and Jed's are both great

12/4/2011 7:09:46 PM

Polson, Montana

For me it is all fun. I have started a new club and we have no monetary rewards. I paid all the GPC fees, etc. for the weighoff. The idea is to get others to grow and taking kids under our wing to grow. Teach them something fun to grow and later on Who Knows? they may grow food for their families. The smile on their faces is my reward. The two kids that I mentored in my patch grew a 597 and 492. That folks is what it is all about. Like Norm I am semi retired.

12/4/2011 7:26:03 PM

Rhode Island

i know what motivates ron and i --- a second world record. we would love to be the first to break the 2,000 pound barrier.
other than that -- i agree fully with abbynormal. when it stops being fun its time to hang it up.
pap

12/4/2011 7:29:13 PM

Massachusetts

like norm said, the enjoyment we all get when we get a giant in the garden! love the people driving off the road onto the neighbors lawn, one person stopped by and asked where i bought the fake pumpkin! lol. and most of all the smiles on the kids faces when they see a pumpkin bigger than them! love this hobby more than any money ever spent! scott.............

12/4/2011 7:32:59 PM

50 Acres

I too am an older grower. 18 school buses pass here twice a day. With the school just up the hill ,teachers walk their young students down to view the patch
Its the ooohs and aaahs that get to you
I sell a few at halloween for next years fertilizer etc

12/4/2011 7:39:26 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

Arnprior? wow - that's a ways up there! nice to hear from you LittleHud! - neato!

12/4/2011 7:48:51 PM

Muddy Waters

The world record challenge has always been a goal of mine,I enjoyed gardening before giants were popular.Its good clean fun

12/4/2011 8:08:39 PM

Kaukauna, Wisconsin

Our club the Wisconsin giant pumpkin growers did a Growers Survey last winter. Some of the results will be in or winter news letter.
We asked why do you grow pumpkins.
60% for fun
6% for money
34% for completion.

12/4/2011 8:44:35 PM

Deer Park, WI

Personally, I grow primarily out of genuine interest in the art of taking a seed to >1000lbs. Competitive drive to be the best and prize money are additional carrots that make this hobby most fulfilling.

I feel it is unfortunate that "money" is so frequently casted in such a negative light. While purists may claim that money is not a motivator in this hobby, I truly wonder how many people have returned their weighoff checks back to the organizer. For most individuals in this hobby, I speculate that money is icing on the proverbial cake. I also believe it is a powerful motivator for many competitors when choosing where to exhibit their fruit.

Lucrative prize structures have far reaching effects beyond making a successful grower's pocket heavy. Consider this point of view, coming from someone who started a club from scratch in 2005 that now boasts 80+ members and a world record under our collective belt. Generating club revenues was absolutely imperative to the vitality of the SCGA-

I contend that generous payouts are essential for expansion of this hobby. Please humor my logic: A grower with a notably large fruit and multiple weighoff options/dates at his/her disposal, all within relatively equidistant driving distance, will likely choose the weighoff with the greatest potential for top prize. Money is a delicious carrot.

Local media is a significant driver of awareness & attendance at these events. It takes quite a story to pull out media who's impact is far reaching. Thus, rumors of state/world records, confirmed large fruit, etc are essential to attracting media. You need big fruit. And to guarantee big fruit, you need lucrative prize structure.

12/4/2011 8:45:37 PM

Deer Park, WI

Media coverage then generates interest in the hobby. And this becomes an important driver in expanding a club's reach for new membership.

Another angle to consider- Revenues for club operations are equally important as lucrative prizestructures. The SCGA struggled financially for many years before running in the black. Once we were in the black and could afford to host a spring meeting and other social activities (nothing glamorous, just modest gatherings with food & drink), our membership grew and the quality of the fruit growers brought to scale also improved. A financially stable club is, in my mind, one of the most important factors driving the growth (in terms of numbers and in weight of fruit) that the hobby has.

More insight into why clubs depend on revenue- A website to keep growers connected and resources at their disposal (~$225/year, barebones). $300 GPC site fee. Postage for multiple mailings to club members (seeds, newsletters, club merchandise). Food & drink for volunteers at club-sponsored events. Nickels and dimes add up quick. Dont forget PayPal's % cut for the convenience of online transactions.

This matter comes down to personal values. Some value the hobby simply for the sake of growing. My hat's off to you. Others value expanding the hobby as a whole, through leadership activities with clubs and the fundraising efforts necessary to enable club-driven hobby expansion.

When money surfaces yet again as the root of all pumpkin evil, consider the possibility that money raised and subsequently spent somewhere, somehow, had an impact on where you are today.

12/4/2011 8:45:48 PM

Muddy Waters

Amen Joze!! well said!

12/4/2011 8:48:22 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Geez, it's been almost ten years already?

Years back, my farmer buddy and I, during a morning of hard labor and sweating out a wicked hangover, decided to partner and grow Atlantic Giants, with me promising to provide the labor and half the cost. My partner put me in touch with John Pontious, who supplied me with a 808.5 Gibson and some basic growing tips. Despite my best efforts to kill the plant, I wound up with two pumpkins from it, placing 6th and 8th at Circleville. The weighoff itself had hooked me.

Having always wanting to be a farmer from a very early age but not having a relative who was engaged in agriculture, this was a way to satisfy my yen to dig in the dirt and be outdoors full-time. The hobby has become so much over the years.

I've was able to show my young daughters the value of hard work, despite the many disppointments and failures, that persistence eventually pays off, and that the failure-to-success ratio is generally 10:1. I now have young grandchildren to share the hobby with before I move on and, hopefully, in this age of instant gratification, greed, and seemingly hopeless dissatisfaction with the things we cannot control, can teach them the simple pleasures of hard labor and provide a way to get away from the manic insanity of life's day-to-day demands and show them that the best things in life truly are free.

12/4/2011 8:54:04 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

continued...

I've met so many great people over the years as a result of this hobby...Dr. Bob, Buddy Conley, John Pontious...the list goes on and will continue to grow. I've learned a lot about organization and dedication as a club officer and have come to realize that pain is a natural part of growing.

My life is truly centered around growing these damned things now and I couldn't be happier. Can't wait until my first world record.

12/4/2011 9:09:06 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Let's see, I've been going to weighoffs now for 10 years, and only once have I walked away with a prize that was more than the cost of the gas to get there. So I guess I'm right in line with the failure to success ratio!

12/5/2011 12:07:24 PM

Colorado

We all have our reasons for growing these things,for me its:
fun to see how big I can get one to grow
genetically AG's still interest me
contests are a fun form of competition
I lose money at it every year so profit isnt part of my world

12/5/2011 1:16:33 PM