From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Deer Park WA

Ok heres the question.... Why are the weigh offs the 1st weekend in October? Even though I harvest fruit for them they get pretty mushy by Halloween. Since pumpkins are sinonomus (Sp) with Halloween shouldn't the weigh offs be like mid October??? That would be great! Then I could start the 1st of June or so and avoid a lot of grief, and still have a sound punkin on all hallows eve!!!.

5/28/2003 11:10:10 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Because them little plants are so much easier to protect from frost then a 700sqf plant. Our average first frost date is around September 13th. Plus I have a feeling maximum growth is tied in with daylight length.

5/28/2003 11:25:41 PM

[email protected]

That & the fact that the weigh offs are usually tied to agriculture fairs. These originated here in the original colonies as harvest festivals. Most crops had to be harvested & distributed by wagon before hard frosts. Then the ag fairs became places to celebrate the harvest but also to arrange for the sale & barter of the produce & livestock before the heavy tasks of winterizing set in.

It is very interesting to note changes brought about by the modernization of agriculture & the effects it has had on the ag fairs as we now know them. In some ways, it's also a miracle they even still exhist.

Picture the country before Stop & Shop, Costco, & Shaws. Picture the country before Deisel trucks, a federal innerstate highway system, modern refrigeration, packaging, & pest control.

I'll wager there were no carnival rides or tee shirt stands at the fairs in the 1800's. Maybe an isurance company tent. Certainly an Ox-pull. And plenty of competition/exhibition grade produce. Even a tent for the local ice salesperson. But the results helped growers to establish their financial security in the forthcoming year.

Interesting stuff I think. It would be cool to see a documentary on this subject. Time to cruise barns&nobel & amazon.com to see if there are any books on this subject.

Steve

5/29/2003 6:50:56 AM