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Washington State

Ihave found more information on how the decision by the GPC is unfair to hollandsgiants.com
In their #1) We do actually "manufacture" 3 of our products we offer. We make our Pumpkin Power all-organic fertlizer from raw ingredients. We also manufacture our Spring Wake-up! from raw ingredients, and we also make our DVD'swe offer. We do most of all the filmings and photos (occasionally growers send us clips to insert), but we do all the editing, titling, music and special effects.
In their #3: This is taken from the Niagra Venders sheet from the seminar where we paid $1,000.00 for a tabel: The %1,000.donation was to enable a repesentative to attend all funcions for the weekend in addition to working their table area for sales. This also allows a representative to speak about their product during the seminar on Saturday and field questions.
THIS PROVES WE DID NOT IGNORE REQUESTS AND BREAK ANY RULES.
IT ALSO PROVES THAT IF GIVEN ENOUGH MONEY FROM A COMPETITOR THEY WILL REDUCE THE COMPETITION FOR THEM AND PUSH EXCLUSIVELY THEIR PRODUCTS.
This decision was made for the following reasons:
1) The GPC is exclusively seeking manufactures to represent their products that the growers use.
2) The GPC has a Diamond level vendor in Neil Anderson & RTI industries featuring “Pumpkin Pro” products. The products you sell would be a conflict of interest to this very loyal partner of ours.
3) The last time the GPC gave you a chance to be a vendor of ours in Niagara you completely ignored our requests to not bring or sell product & did as you pleased causing problems with other vendors.

The GPC will not discuss this topic any further with you & ask that if by some chance in the future we would consider you as a vendor we will contact you.

Thank you for considering the GPC,
The GPC Executive Committee

1/28/2012 2:44:38 PM

Indiana

Joel,
I have always liked and respected you. I learned a lot from you and always have appreciated trading seeds with you. I hope that my opinion doesn't harm any of that, but this is getting ridiculous.

Please keep this off board until after the meeting. The fighting has me questioning if I even want to grow anymore, nor does it look good for the rookies that are yet to be completely hooked. Take advantage of your time to talk in person at the meeting. You will have a hundred, perhaps hundreds of people that will have no choice but to hear your comments and questions.

Its never fun to feel excluded and singled out. Trust me, I understand that. Look at how I am looked down upon for selling a few hundred dollars in seeds a year. Then to see and hear comments from others that want to do nothing but put you out of business. I get that. It does not feel good, it is not fun, and it certainly feels like you are being attacked.

Please lets keep this off here until you have time to do it in person. Bullying and constant slanderous remarks whether true or not will not help you or your reputation.

Respectfully submitted
Tom Beachy

1/28/2012 3:14:41 PM

Washington State

Hi Tom,
This is Mari Lou, and I posted this. I understand what you are saying, and in the future, I will only respond if needed. I cannot respond directly to the GPC as per their request. We have been humbled by the growers that have contacted us directly the last few days,with some of the issues and concerns they also have, similar to ours and I hope the GPC will set enough time during the Seminar for these to be addressed by all, not just responses from the GPC board.

1/28/2012 3:30:08 PM

[email protected]

Here are the first 3 levels for GPC sponsorship from Niagara:

11th Annual, International Giant Vegetable Growers Convention
Hosted by: Port Elgin Pumpkin fest and the
GPC (Great Pumpkin Commonwealth)
Funding & Sponsorship & Advertisement Levels

    $500 Bronze Level > Convention information table and your banner placement

    $1,000 Silver Level > Includes information table and banner placement
1 Year – Icon link on home page Great Pumpkin Commonwealth site
Handouts and information sheets in convention grower’s packages
1 full convention delegate entry. Dinner, hospitality and convention.

    $2,500 Gold Level > Includes information table and banner placement
1 Year – Icon link on Home page Great Pumpkin Commonwealth site
Handouts and information sheets in convention grower’s packages
2 full convention delegate admission. Dinner, hospitality and convention.
1 Room, 2 night stay at Sheraton Fallsview Hotel
Prime main podium time 15 minutes on Saturday.
Main hall banner placement at stage area.

1/28/2012 3:40:19 PM

Washington State

Hi Eddy;
Part 1:Your posting must be from a more recent status;
I was quoting from the Niagara Vendors sheet from the year we went in 2009. Holland's Giants has not received an update from the GPC since then.
NIAGARA VENDORS
I would like to thank all the vendors that have decided to get on board with the GPC to help us better educate our growers. The 2009 Growers Convention in Niasgara should be another memorable occasion and those of you who will be attending I am sure you will find it entertaining as well as informative.
I am sending this letter to update each vendor of what our plans for you are at each level of sponsorship (please refer to the other attachment)

1/28/2012 4:10:29 PM

Washington State

Part 2:
The Bronze Level of $500.00 donation was intended for the vendors who would not be able to send a representative to man a table. This level is for a static display only of your product(s), banner, and information as to how the growers could purchase from you (directly or distributor).
The $1,000.00 donation was to enable a representative to attend all functions for the weekend in addition to working their table area for sales. This also allows the representative to speak about their product during the seminar on Saturday and field questions.
The GPC would like to throw in an added bonus for additional $500.00 ($1,500.00 total donation) and or door prizes equaling or greater that $500/$1,000. This will anable the vendor to participate in the Sunday break out sessions scheduled to run from 9am to 12pm. You willbe paired up with your heavy hitter growers who use your products and you will be able to talk in further detail. This will give you better credibility with the growers and help increqase your sales opportunities by having the best growers validate your product(s). We have found the break out sessions to be better for more pointed discussions in a class room atmosphere where growers who get intimidated by a big room will talk more freely.
I hope we didn't confuse or mislead any of our new friends and partners over the sponsorship level. We feel the new package offered will more than help you in getting that extra message out to all growers.
Thank you for supporting the GPC,
Dave Stelts
President

1/28/2012 4:10:53 PM

NILES , CALIF

We need some new gpc people in there;all need to be replaced!

1/28/2012 4:17:21 PM

Long Island,New York

Waaaaaaaaaaa.......................please dont ruin the seminar for all of us.

1/28/2012 4:41:59 PM

Washington State

We want this to be a fun and positive Seminar for all. There are definately some problems with some of the decisions the Board has made, and those need to be addressed in an open forum. The GPC board has done a lot for the pumpkin growing community and they should be appreciated for all the time and energy they do spend. We need accountability and transparency for all of us they respresent. Could we have an agenda for Sunday's meeting beforehand?

1/28/2012 5:19:09 PM

Torrance, Ca.

This pumpkin world is one crazy place.


Is this kind of stuff normal?


I might have to go back to growing giant snow peas.

1/28/2012 5:27:04 PM

Mount Vision, NY

Why aren't the members elected and offices given a set term? Why aren't minutes taken at meetings and that information shared? Why aren't issues voted on by the membership? Financial statements? I am a member of several animal breeding clubs and this is the norm. I can't imagine those clubs operating without member input.

1/28/2012 5:27:38 PM

[email protected]

The 11th annual was from 2009

1/28/2012 5:33:11 PM

Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia

This is all getting very tedious. This is not the place to discuss this stuff.

1/28/2012 5:37:37 PM

Mount Vision, NY

I can't speak for the Hollands or the GPC, but I think I brought up some valid questions and BP is the perfect place for that discussion.

1/28/2012 5:42:51 PM

Mount Vision, NY

Hey look at the email I just got from Fred Johnson ([email protected])...

"http://greatpumpkincommonwealth.com/PDF/GPCbylaws.pdf

dumbass read before you keep posting"

Did I deserve this?

1/28/2012 6:02:35 PM

Mount Vision, NY

I see offices are set terms, my apologies. Offices and issues are not voted on directly by members, it's by representatives only and I saw no note of meeting minutes or that info being shared and nothing on financial statements. It looks like there hasn't been any "News or Events" happening in over two years, at least it hasn't been updated anyways. As was said on the previous post on this topic a little more transparency wouldn't cause some of the issues that came up.
By the way Fred, maybe you should read the Constitution, we have something called freedom of speach in this country... dumbass.

1/28/2012 6:25:23 PM

Connecticut, USA

The GPC has already stated that they will answer questions about this on the Sunday session in Las Vegas. The Holland's said they are going. So why is this back in the message board?!? Mari Lou, enough.

shouck65, if you have questions for the GPC then post them on the GPC board. If someone calls you a name in an email then email them back, don't bring it here.

1/28/2012 6:45:57 PM

Rhode Island

amen kenny

these posts are starting to read like a bad novel.people have saved and spent good money to go to vegas, visit friends and have a good time.

no one should think they will change or destroy our good time because there feelings were hurt.i for one will not.
im going there to have a good time,visit old friends,make a few new ones and, anyone who is not? should stay home.

i know if im not wanted at any event ill stay home.not distract from everyones good time.

do these people that are running the gpc down realize how much hard work has gone into preparing and planning so that everyone has a enjoyable time? or that its their business who they want as vendors,etc?

my last post on the matter.see everyone in vegas

pap

1/29/2012 6:54:53 AM

Waquoit Mass

boy its nice and relazing in the woods hunting. lol

1/31/2012 10:02:36 AM