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Planet Orange

122 total submissions have been reported from 2012 to 2014.

There are roughly 100 GPC weighoffs annually so this data represents only about 1/3 of the total population.

The average weight of a Howard Dill winner is 831.2 pounds.

The median weight is 795.5 pounds.

Are weighoff sites using a minimum 500 pounds as criteria? On some level yes: only 26 winners were less than 500 pounds.

Most Howard Dill awards won over the last 3 years:
Risi- 5 Cantrell- 3 Gansert- 3 Kline- 3 Northrups- 3 There were quite a few two-time winners.

Most Howard Dill awards produced over the last 3 years:
1495 Stelts- 7 811 Gerhardt- 7 1059 Vincent-McGill-5 1634 Werner- 4 1048 Engel- 3 1662 Stelts- 3 There were several two-time producers.

Hopefully more data is collected next year. If there are any stats you are looking for let me know and I'll see if I can get it for you.

12/14/2014 4:03:14 PM

Planet Orange

Oh yes the heaviest Howard Dill Award winner is the 1817 McConkie.

12/14/2014 4:10:19 PM

South Hero, VT

Thanks for breaking the numbers down. Very interesting.

12/14/2014 4:46:40 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Good Information

12/14/2014 6:02:39 PM

Going Green

In this past weigh-off I received the Howard Dill Award and Plaque and I was so thrilled. In 2015 I am going to shoot for a bigger and better pumpkin which is worthy of the Howard Dill Award! The Howard Dill story is so fantastic and we as growers should be very thankful and appreciative of his efforts...I know that I am very Thankful!

12/14/2014 8:29:52 PM

Upa Creek, MO

I am tired of playing ugly, I am going all orange this year.

12/15/2014 8:00:50 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Great post, thanks!

12/15/2014 9:53:53 AM

West Paris Me.

Do they take the Howard Dill award winners and pick an over all winner for the year? Or did they already and I missed it?

12/15/2014 1:10:38 PM

Western NY

No, there is no overall winner. That used to happen but as you can see looking at the entries, it's nearly impossible. Just too many nearly perfect fruit to choose from.

Great job, Jim!

12/15/2014 2:01:05 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Yeah its time to start going purty again.....

12/15/2014 4:06:14 PM

Western PA

I won have won 3 Howard Dill awards in the past 3 years as well. 2012 I won 2, one at Barnesville very pretty pumpkin, and one at the southern ohio pumpkin growers weighoff which was in Circleville that year. This fruit was not that pretty but did have a excellent shape. I don't think i should of won that one Doc had a prettier pumpkin then I did up there. I asked them why I won and they said there was a group of judges which I believe where one of there sponsors that picked mine. Anyway my 3rd came last season at Barnesville with a very pretty fruit. I did not win one this year.

It would be nice if the rules for the dill awards where more standardized across the board but it is bound to come down to a close call more times than not. I have seen weighoffs not enforce the 500 lb rule I think this rule should definitely be a mandatory rule.

12/15/2014 9:17:25 PM

New England

Prettiest pumpkin wins. no questions asked.

12/17/2014 8:33:34 AM

Johnston, R.I.

One thing everyone has to remember is the HD Award is an opinion of one or more people.. It is not like putting a pumpkin on the scale.

12/17/2014 9:23:20 AM

Stanwood, Washington

I think it would be very hard to award an overall Howard dill award without seeing them all in person. One Photo doesn't always capture everything about a Pumpkin. Some Pumpkins can be gorgeous from one angle and not so great from another.

12/17/2014 11:51:58 AM

Claysburg , PA

Weighoffs do not have to use the 500lb rule from what I understand . Until this becomes mandatory you will not see it all weighoffs .

I do not like the 500lb min .

12/17/2014 2:16:00 PM

Rhode Island

I say if the pumpkin has perfect shape,,, great color,,, they can be in the competion to win it.

12/29/2014 7:52:05 PM