From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Auburn Maine, USA

I was wondering what other growers think. A grower brings an extra pumpkin to the fair and enters it in his 4 year old grandchilds name in the youth division. Its fun for his grandchild. People take pictures, the grandfather is all proud. Its cute. Its fun. But is it fair to the kids that grew their own pumpkin. Had their own patch, or part of a patch. I'd like to have a seperate plant for my son. Have him do the work. Id like him to compete with other growers his age. Does anyone agree or disagree???

2/20/2007 11:42:02 PM

Auburn Maine, USA

If thats alittle confusing, I was wondering if its worth mentioning at the weigh offs that the youth entrys must be grown by the youth. Making a point that parental help is alright (if not heavily encouraged)

2/20/2007 11:50:57 PM

Cairo, Georgia

Hi Randalls,,,
I agree with you. Jeff took care of all of the fertilizers and spraying, he also SHOWED Tyler how to cover the vines and what to do,,,,but,,,he made him do it, he made him did the holes, help collect cow manure, ect... He told him if he was going to enter it and get the prize, he was going to have to do the work. The only problem is, that some people are going to say yes, they grew it and you nor I would not know the truth about it. They are the ones who have to sleep at night knowing they decieved someone. I think the children should grow what they can even if it is a 50 lb. pumpkin. After Jeff died last year, I had no idea what to do, so Tyler watered the crap out of it everyday and I sprayed them. Personally I don't want my kids messing with anything that has to be sprayed, but for the youth, I agree with you. Let them grow it, Let them learn about it..makes it more interesting and more rewarding in the end for them. Very Good Point!

Ally

2/21/2007 1:27:18 AM

Jericho Vermont

Randalls,
My son who is now 12 has been growing and competeing in the youth division here in VT for the past 3 years. He has progressively gotten better at caring for the plant and has always done a large part of the work for the plant (sometimes because I told him he had to) if he wanted to take credit for the pumpkin. We have a youth category in our weigh off that is ribbon only. All of the kids get ribbons and all are very proud of their accomplishments regardless of the size of their pumpkins.

I think no matter what this gets an interest in the youth who will be leaders in our hobby for years to come. Just keep the awards to a junior division with no cash attached to it.(my opinion)

Even the kids who don't fully participate the first year or two, still slowly catch the bug of growing these things. Maybe just by hanging out in the patch or at the kitchen table, or club meetings. All of this helps to make future growers of tomorrow.

We need to just need to remember to congratulate every child who brings a pumpkin to the weigh off. And hopefully teach the older generation to keep the true competition for the adults.
John

2/21/2007 6:31:52 AM

Cairo, Georgia

very well put John...

2/21/2007 7:12:00 AM

Rhode Island

Randalls

Good post, lets take it a bit farther.

Cheaters can be found at every weigh off. Parents entering a pumpkin in a childs name is bad .It teaches the child nothing and sets a very bad example for them to follow.

Whats even worse and i know happens much more than at the youth level is adults taking a second pumpkin and entering it in a spouse or family members name.

Anyone that does this should be ashamed of themselves. All you are doing is cheating everyone else at the weigh off.

Why the hell would you want to take a prize or ribbon (OR MONEY) away from someone that worked there butts off to accomplish something? yet it happen all to often. Greed ?

Unfortunately other than allowing a grower to bring and place as many pumpkins as they grow this will continue to happen.

Its a hobby so we really cant put the entrants through a series of interviews ,etc, like some contests do.

There are a lot of good families out there that grow together and each have there own plants ( hell my son and i do it ) lots of good husband and wife teams. mother daughter, etc, as well. The cheaters make it look bad for all of them.

We are all being cheated by these dishonest people. And they end up teaching their children to do the same.

Pap

2/21/2007 7:23:32 AM

[email protected]

Ahhh...The sideline coach-parent at the soccer game syndrome.

This is a subject that is near & dear to my heart for a different reason. I am in the unenviable position of being the father of the Cub Scout's Pack, District & Council Pinewood Derby Champion. I'm also the Cubmaster so every year there has been some sort of allegation that the "cubmaster's kid" will win again as though I am the one building the car.

Sure his first year I had a large hand in building his car. But every year thereafter the kids should be applying more of what they are learning.

It has gotten so bad that some well intentioned but ill guided parents actually buy a "District Winner" on eBay. The boy is cheated out of doing anything at all other than watching his dad cheat.

We have taken this endeavor to a new level by offering "build workshops" here at my place. When my 10 year old shows some boy's father how to use the specialty tools I take solace in knowing it has all been worth while.

I now build my own car & enter it into an "open class derby" with no prizes. Between the use of exotic woods & fancy airbrush finishes it is obvious that adult hands built the thing. Of course I also build a guarnateed loser so the slower entries can win an "I Beat the Cubmaster" award. Gotta keep it fun for everyone.

continued

2/21/2007 8:24:58 AM

[email protected]

I've been to more than one weigh-off where a family makes two entries when there is really only one grower. It's a shame since there are some valid husband/wife teams that really do each start & grow their own plants. Indeed some World Champions. Cheating of this sort does tarnish their situation to a degree but most of us know & understand who the real-deal players are.

Our weigh-off awarded an unadvertised prize to a youth entry last year. His smiling parents didn't make an entry at all since the kid really did have a hand in growing the thing. Did he do it all? Not likely. Kids should never handle pesticdes though I doubt these folks even sprayed anything. But he wasn't even close to winning so our situation was much less complicated than one where a bogus entry snipes a prize from a valid grower.

Having lots of smaller GPC sanctioned weigh-offs & clubs seems to reduce the chances of this becoming a bigger problem. Smaller clubs are more intimate so folks just know who the growers are. Patch tours help push the Junior & new growers up in capability but also confirms who is really growing the entries.

2/21/2007 8:25:04 AM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Ok this is a different post then most.My kids are 6,4,3 years of age and just love that I am home in the patch or garden then out on the golf course or fishing with buddies. I grow many Pumpkin plants along with watermelon, muskmelon.onions besides the usual garden stuff.My wife does most of the pollinating during the week because i am at work before they open up unless its the weekend then I do it.My whole family helps most the time even though the kids work maybe 15 minutes at a time at this age but they love it and I dont force them to do more then the want to. My wife hauled all day last year manure like 15 truck loads. I do all the spraying and most of the lifting and tilling that goes on.If it was not for the family I would not have grown anything as big as I have so far. I believe kids can be tuitored as the season goes on and help with many things in the patch as long as I am there to watch. I think if the child grew it themselves with very little help but the spraying its his but if there is more help the should be the childs name then the parents name next to it to clarify the child could not complete all the work needed. How much work or how much time they do should be though out.My kids are too young to do it themselves but maybe when they are 10 or so they should be able to do most of it and maybe even sooner since they are out there watching now and asking questions.I could go on and on on this but when I get home and grab the tape to measure these things my kids are there writing down the numbers helping with the tarps moving the water sprinklers moving out cut pumpkins. This is a family effort and maybe It should be something like 977 Schnicker family. When it comes to october and (if) I have 2 pumpkins to take I will take them.This is a family effort without them I am nothing.This will be my 4th year growing AGs and I have not got one to a GPC weigh-off yet.

2/21/2007 7:46:24 PM

Auburn Maine, USA

Growing these giants is fun and will continue to be. Id still grow if there wasnt any form of organized weigh offs. The weigh offs are a fun way of showing off your summers work, meeting and getting to talk with other growers ect. The weigh offs add to the fun. I can see how enjoyable it would be for someone to see to enter a second best pumpkin in a little one of theirs name. The smiles on the little guys face. That also would for someone make it worth it and priceless. Though it may be a well intended act, people should be aware that by doing so may take the well earned prize and some of the fun from a youth that did the work themselves and deserve it. I hope that no one actually enters a second pumpkin for extra prize money. That is pretty much taking money from a kid. The more rules put into place can sometimes take away from the fun.
No one can prove who grew what, or how much work was put into by who. Its a honor thing. I just hope that maybe this post will make some aware by doing this you make the weigh offs more fun for one little one by taking away some well deserved prizes and recognition from a nother.

2/21/2007 9:50:07 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

A ribbon for kids is all they need.We are having a weigh-off here this fall for all ages called a family weigh-off. No money just ribbons and a few prizes like gift certificates to wal-mart or Mcdonalds.

2/22/2007 6:05:39 AM

Montoursville, PA

The best administrative medicine to reduce the likelyhood of cheating is to get the kids division down to ribbons. Then just let it be assumed that moms and dads help the kids. God bless them if they do play with their children.

Lordy Lordy yes we have cheating in the children's division, yes even in the organizational structures for farm kids and scouts at other community events. Always have had, presently continue to have and likely always will have....in which case the principles of the whole event or organization are comprommised. Such is life. The larger ninety five percent understand the goals and achieve the principled event or organizational values for their families.

In our case where brokers appear to purchase nearly every pumpkin that is available there is incentive enough even for a teenager to grow, go and sell the pumpkin. Two years ago we had a sixteen year old get $500.00 for her fruit while an eight year old received $200.00 for his. Neither had totally grown the fruit all by themselves. Dads and neighbors helped.

2/22/2007 10:36:44 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

It was not too long ago that many were congratulating a 6 year old for growing the new european record. While I am sure he helped his grandpa in the garden....really!

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=23&p=172621

2/22/2007 10:57:58 AM