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Little-TON - Colorado

Over the last two years my life has changed a great deal surrounding a friend giving me an AG pumpkin seed for XMAS in 2004. Now a Website, a Growers club, a botanical garden center, a GPC weighoff, so many seeds, several clubs joined, a wife ready to leave me, a friend ready to committ me, An obsession that grows bigger than my pumpkin.......dreams, nightmares...... neighbors pro and con...... MANY MANY new friends I have never seen , but find them to be dear.....DO I need mental help? WHY DO YOU GROW?

2/6/2007 3:10:10 PM

Eugene, OR

Hands down, no contest, the reason I grow is for the people. I've met some of the greatest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting through this crazy hobby and many of them have become what I consider close friends. I love to grow pumpkins but it's not about the money, recognition, or competition, it's all about friendship and feeling like a child on Christmas morning when I run out to the patch and uncover the pumpkins. :-)

2/6/2007 3:43:08 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

I like pumpkins!

2/6/2007 3:55:26 PM

western Kentucky

the voices... they tell me too...

2/6/2007 3:56:34 PM

[email protected]

Growing & showing pumpkins has always been a love of mine & I wanted to share that with my family. So my reason for starting back into it was to give my son the biggest porch carver around while also teaching him something. Through Scouts & the School we have reached farther into the education field than I ever expected to. LOL

Giants make people smile which is also rewarding. Personally I've made some great friends doing this so not sticking with it isn't an option any more. I can think of many worse things we could do with our time.

Dick Wallace said it best & it sticks with me. Bad people don't grow Giant Pumpkins.

2/6/2007 3:59:54 PM

Georgia

For the chicks man...you no all those pumpkin grower groupies. Really I grow giant Pumpkins cause I love to garden and love to stay busy outside. Plus it gives me a good reason to get away from the old lady. I do sell some but thats just to get back what I spent on growing them. But we all know its for the hotties.

2/6/2007 4:05:21 PM

Colorado

Hotties ? There ain’t no hotties hanging around my patch.
Hmmmm wonder why------: ) LB

2/6/2007 4:16:55 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

99.95% of the population just sees them as they are Pumpkins..Us Lucky or Unlucky ones depending on how you see it. See them as they are...a hobby in which we enjoy. Could be worse you could chase a little white ball all over a field.

2/6/2007 4:56:44 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

I love to grow things but I don't like to eat my veggies. This way I get to grow things without feeling guilty for letting all that "good" food going to waste.

2/6/2007 5:03:38 PM

Waquoit Mass

welcome to cucurbit insanity i do it for the trips to niagra lol

2/6/2007 5:08:38 PM

Midway City, California

I opened my Big mouth and told the people I work with that I was going to grow a 1,000 pound Giant Pumpkin. Six years has passed but still no 1,000 yet. But this will be the year. Then I will tell them that I will grow a 1500 pounder and keep growing and injoying myself .

Keep them growing

2/6/2007 5:09:40 PM

ordinary,VA

My first year growing a customer ask me "why in the world would you want a 500 pound pumpkin"?
Told the man i dont but thats as big as i could get it!!

If you dont grow you dont know:)

2/6/2007 6:09:59 PM

Auburn Maine, USA

I get bored alot

2/6/2007 6:18:06 PM

[email protected]

Yes What Dave Said

2/6/2007 6:23:55 PM

Ca

A friend said, "It's like having a bunch of suns in your back yard". Plus, I get a kick out of being thought slightly eccentric.

2/6/2007 7:20:24 PM

Western NY

bragging rights.

2/6/2007 8:11:00 PM

Rhode Island

You could join a bridge club ,tennis club, soft ball team, play touch football or join a rose garden club and ya know i thing you would still find great prople. Like minds think alike as they say.

The real reason i grow ? because come mid july to early August every year i still get excited when its time to calculate the daily weight gains. To compair charts with some of the best pumpkins ever grown and see how we stack up.Its a facinating hobby Win or loose, and i will keep going at it as long as humanly possible.

pap

2/6/2007 11:03:27 PM

Rhode Island

opps ment to say come late august

2/6/2007 11:04:50 PM

Clinton, Iowa

to watch them grow....there something about a fruit that puts on 55 to 60 pounds 3 straight days...Yea you know it's DOA but it is still a hoot wondering if she will make it!!LOL!!
DAN
PS...OK OK the people ain't to bad eitherLOL and you know the looks on the ones that stop over to "see what those things are" are priceless....one last thing.. the Loadign Party with all my friends in My Yard with Petey and his family ...Food Fun and a few beers..always a good mix

2/6/2007 11:07:59 PM

Colo.Spgs.CO. Pikes Peak Chapter @ [email protected]

I started growing AG's for and with for my daughter back in 1994 when she was 3 years old, before that I just grew a big garden with regular pumpkins. I think growing has kept me out of a lot of trouble, as now I do not go to bars, get drunk with the buddies, chase crazy women, and so on, like I used to. Instead now I am chasing some crazy pumpkin dream, and the women think I am crazy now. Such is the life of a boring old pumpkin grower...JK

2/7/2007 2:07:52 AM

Wood River, IL ([email protected])

We were at a local pumpkin farm in the fall of 05. With are normal 90-100 lb. pumpkin in tow. And my 4 year old ask why I couldn't grow her a bigger pumpkin in my garden. And my reply was "you want a bigger pumpkin, I'll grow you a bigger pumpkin" I had know idea what I was getting into.
Then in Feb. I stumbled across BP.com and started doing some reading and taking notes. My life hasn't been the same sense. Watching these things grow is something special, And the people I've meet along the way are pretty special too.

2/7/2007 6:24:57 AM

Nashville, TN

Scientific curiosity...

And the passion of a gardner.

2/7/2007 7:40:27 AM

Commack, NY

i like to torture my self :)

2/7/2007 8:53:46 AM

Halifax, Nova Scotia

I started growing because I needed a boat.

2/7/2007 9:16:20 AM

it looked fun, and i found a source of info and a source of seeds soon after, and here i am 4 years later. I'll stop when it's not fun anymore.

2/7/2007 11:35:12 AM

Johnston, R.I.

For my entertainment.

2/7/2007 1:03:41 PM

Central Pennsylvania [email protected]

We like to go camping alot, my goal is to grow one big enough for the family to sleep in so I don't have to keep messing with those %$##$@&^&%^* tent poles! LOL

Actually the family atmosphere here is what got me hooked.

2/7/2007 2:33:08 PM

Indiana

Pumpkins make people smile :) big ones make them smile real big! Unless they split :( Its a Personal challenge to grow one bigger than last year.
Steve

2/7/2007 3:31:27 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

I grow for a number of reasons.
Inititially I wanted to grow a large pumpkin for my nephews and neices. I also enjoy monitoring the growth. I grow orange genetics, because of the attention they get at weighoffs. It's also fun driving home from the weighoff, with a large pumpkin in the back of the pickup, and people waving and taking pics. I've met some very nice people through this hobby. So many reasons....there are probably more.

2/7/2007 3:37:59 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

I try to out grow "The Beachball" each and every year. So far so good, but it got close last year.....I love the looks on peoples faces and all the chatter that goes on around the hood. Neighbors think Im crazy, but the kids during halloween make special trips just to see them, as the adults dont believe they are real. My personal hope is to set a new state record,and grow bigger every year, my goal is to help new growers grow'em BIG. It has been a great ride so far.

2/7/2007 3:54:12 PM

Coventry R.I.

For the Kids to Enjoy!!

2/7/2007 8:41:46 PM

Greencastle, PA

Giant pumpkins are awesome. It's that simple. I grow them because they amaze me.
Pertaining to the chicks... I've found that giant pumpkin growing is a good conversation point. The trick is to mention it casually and and let them ask about it. For me, it's a good way to display my intelligence and unique personality. The other trick is having something else to talk about and knowing when to talk about it. More importantly, it gives me something to talk to their parents about. It keeps their minds off of more sensitive subjects.

2/7/2007 10:33:02 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

I grow, because that's what I love todo. If I could make a living farming, I wouldn't have left the farm when I graduated high school. I garden because some of my best memories are in a garden. because,

2/7/2007 10:48:39 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

I garden because in my heart that's where I am the closest to my grandfather(we were really close) when he died I was 14 and it seemed like all went to hell. being in the patch makes me feel that I am accomplishing something with my life.

I also grow so that when I get a bigone, I can see the look on my friends when they say Holly S**T that's big.

2/7/2007 10:51:18 PM

Vermont

To cut down on the emissions from my lawn mower!!! And simply because they are just awesome!!!

2/8/2007 3:16:39 AM

Webster, NY

I really started growing to get something big for Halloween. Now I expect to get better every year, and when I don't I'm disapointed. It can get quite addicting.

2/8/2007 5:00:40 AM

[email protected]

LOL scoops. Save the world from global warming! Grow pumpkins! LOL

2/8/2007 9:46:19 AM

maine USA

I started growing giant pumpkins so that I could kick my son's butt. More than two years ago I bought him one of Don Langevins books and he decided to grow one which of course led to me challenging him. Two years and we have a tied score. Year 1 Randall year 2 me, this years the tie breaker.
I can't wait. KathyT

2/8/2007 12:32:27 PM

Antigonish,Nova Scotia,Canada

my money is on you, Kathy!!!...show him NO mercy!!!....senior growers of the world unite, we've got nothing to lose but our grey hair!!!!.....LOL
Bill

2/8/2007 2:36:05 PM

porterville, calif.

I grow because I really enjoy the peolpe involved with this. Also Im just always amaised how these pumpkins get so big and grow so fast. Also I like a good challenge. So far my biggest was 366 DMG. My biggest to weigh was 326. I know that I can do better. Im really looking forward to this 07 season this is going to be my year.

2/8/2007 3:25:25 PM

South East

just getting started here, got hooked instantly, i think its worse then crack(no dont use that shit)i was surprised by the great community of growers surrounding this great hobby, love the seed hunt, love the patch work(yes, really,lol)and love them pumpkins to. i hope to do this many years an get better along the way, maybay grow a world record( yep, ambitious)in time to come. But keeping it fun and hopefully meet some fellow growers in the future is on top off the agenda. Still not quite shure though why its so obcessive...

2/8/2007 6:31:11 PM

Auburn Maine, USA

KathyT, youre goin DOWN!

2/8/2007 11:00:02 PM

maine USA

Thank you Bill. Randall is that anyway to speak to you mother. I'm going to kick that kids butt this year.

2/9/2007 12:34:56 AM

Auburn Maine, USA

last year was a hoax. "Payback, this time, its for real"-Movie announcer guy

2/9/2007 12:44:58 AM

maine USA

lol

2/9/2007 1:10:28 AM

Mt Vernon Ky

i grow them for the exercise and my wife keep kicking my butt but i going to beat her this year

2/9/2007 3:41:54 PM

Waitakere New Zealand

im with jason the voices tell me to ....and i get a lot of enjoyment from watching them grow ..trying to beat last years weight learning what is happening in the patch ....at the moment there is voice screaming it split what now?ar.r.r.,r.r glad there are others ....

2/9/2007 8:57:13 PM

Williamsport, Pa.

because i can

2/9/2007 9:03:42 PM

Montoursville, PA

Sixty years and more I have been growing something. Why not?

2/12/2007 11:19:48 AM

Central Ca

It's neat to see how much the plant (God) takes care of itself and how little help it needs from me...the people are the best...I like orange...it'll be a good hobby for my future children to help me with and learn how to work.

2/12/2007 7:36:00 PM

canal winchester ohio

One reason.....Chics dig big gourds.

2/12/2007 8:05:26 PM