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Bristol, ME ([email protected])

Since we have been on the topic of goals and lineups, I thought I'd ask a question of everyone. What Grower(s) have influenced you in your growing career the most. Take into account advice, encouragement, techniques, weight and all the other things that have helped you get to where you are today. I have several I look up to and want to thank for their help. Al Berard, my good friend, who has encouraged, helped and advised me the last 2 years. Glenn Andrews who taught me to never give up and has been so very generous. The NH boys, who without their generosity, advice and frendship, I never would be where I am today. Joe Pukos and Kirk Mombert, who are always willing to answer my questions. All the generous folks who have sent and traded seeds, you know who you are. All my pals who come to the chat every night and exchange ideas and advice. The BP community, who without I would never have known anything about growing pumpkins or learned nearly what I have with you all. Thank you. I could go on for pages as there are many more, but I owe these folks a heartfelt thank you for their time in helping me get this far.

What about you guys? What folks have given their time and help to you so that you could enjoy this hobby to it's fullest?

4/15/2004 7:36:12 PM

Jaffrey NH

Bruce Whittier got me going at our local Rindge weighoff. He was very nice and got me some seeds the next year. Also, Jim Ford and Jim Beauchemin have helped me out a lot with the enthusiasim and skills for this hobby. Everyone has been very nice and all go out of their way to help me out. Thanks everyone.

Douglas

4/15/2004 8:26:07 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Ahhh hands Down on this one...Ken and John for establishing this site..Whatever happened to that Dave guy...lol

4/15/2004 9:18:53 PM

canal winchester ohio

I've recieved advice from a lot of people, but the person who has probably influenced me the most I speak to only once or twice a year....Bob Liggett
I've seen Bob come to the weighoffs in Circleville Ohio with large pumpkins , small pumpkins & sometimes no pumpkins, and his additude is always the same...very upbeat. Never cocky when he wins, never depressing when he doesn't. I saw a 700 lber of his fall & split during loading last season & with a somber smile he said " I still got my health so I can't complain"
What I'm getting at is Bob is a true gentleman in this hobby we all are crazy about. I may have learned more about growing from other people, but I learned how to be a true "sportsman" from watching Bob.
................Paul

4/15/2004 9:23:50 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Al Eaton...the epitome of class and a true gentleman.

4/15/2004 9:34:30 PM

[email protected]

Great idea for a thread Bill. Influece & inspiration huh?

Kudos to:

My son Stephen for loving pumpkins & inspiring me to look once again for that elusive Dill's Atlantic Giant seed.

Ken & John for putting us all in touch with each other.

Bart Toftness was the first responder to my "newbie" post. So I blame Bart for all the rest of this.

Chris Fasciano sent the very first seeds. So it's partly his fault too. LOL Plus his 300 seed won my son's school first place in the decorated pumpkins contest at the Durham fair! What a wheel!

Dave Garrell impresses me to this day with raw technical discipline & attention to detail in the patch. His amazing genetics knowlege & generosity has made it possible for us to play like the big-hitters. If we blow it now, it's all my fault! LOL

Alan Nesbitt's historical perspectives & environmental management practices are incredible. We both need better cell phone batteries since between the 2 of us, we can talk the ears of a whole herd of elephants.

Eric Gerry for unusual generosity.

Alan Reynolds for incredible energy & amazing memory.

Glenn Andrews for tenacity, diligence & common sense.

Carlos Perez for dedicated discipline. Kyle Little's genetics savvy & fair trading. Jerry Rose's inspiration. Dwaine Gipe's "feed the living soil". Mike Nepereny for making genetic "experts" out of newbies. Joe Ailts for always stimulating new ideas & pushing the edges (and sending me an 842 Eaton!)

The list is endless. Everyone on this message board brings their own valuble contribution. The generosity of all the "givers" is amazing.

Gerry, Stead, Hopkins, Hunt, Green, Summers, Ford, Caron, Thanks to everyone.

Somehow we made it through another winter. And most of us are actually still talking to each other! LOL

Good luck to everyone this year. May we all set new personal bests!

Steve

4/15/2004 9:56:07 PM

Greencastle, PA

I've probably gotten the most help from Nic Welty and Tom Beachy. There are a lot of other growers I've learned from, and none of it would have been possible if Ken and John didn't make this site.
Tom

4/15/2004 9:59:32 PM

San Diego

Have to be Don Langevin for me. It was his books that got me started growing these ag's and the info on how to do it:) Jim

4/15/2004 10:06:53 PM

Key West, FL

Jack La Rue, Steve and Paul Handy, and all you chat room guys.

4/15/2004 11:13:05 PM

Eugene,OR

Of the people who currently make posts here on BigPumpkins.com I think three people stand out as the outstanding contributors of quality information:
Stan Pugh: Stan always has good advice and is willing to share his experience with newer growers.
Kyle Little: Kyle's insight and research on seeds which produce heavy progeny is un-matched. Kyle probably has the best "genetic pumpkin common sense" of anyone on BigPumpkins.com.
Dwaine Gipe: Doc Gipe's grower diary is the best diary in BigPumpkins.com. If you want to know how to do something or make something, just look at his diary. The answer to your question about pumpkin growing can probably be found on Doc Gipe's diary...and there will be a picture to go along with it.

4/15/2004 11:52:01 PM

Mill Creek West by god Virginia

guys being a first year grower i have to thank alot of people who have given me seeds both for myself and my new group im starting here in west virginia,so here goes first dwain gipe for all the advice and friendship,southern for the inspiration to get my group going,george caron,cory campbell,john wright,peter frei,chris michalec,daryl crosby,tony cilibreto,nic welty,david hancock,phill hunt,any way i just want to say a great big thank you to each and all and i hope i make everyone proud!sory if i missed anyone oh thanks tony vanderpool!!!!!sign me a enthuasiatic rookie burrhead

4/15/2004 11:56:08 PM

Puyallup, WA

Joel and Mari Lou Holland introduced me to AG pumpkins at The Puyallup Fair the Spring of 1999. The PNWGPG was staffing a booth selling seeds and answering questions.
The most influencial folk initially would be Joel, Lincoln Mettler and Geneva Emmons. It was Geneva that resurrected
me from my disasterous 2000 growing season.

4/16/2004 12:09:46 AM

Knopp, Germany

Ken and John have been the biggest influence for me because without this website, I never would have gotten into this hobby.

4/16/2004 1:33:43 AM

Sauk City Wisconsin

I think some or all of us should thank howerd dill. If not for him and his dad none of this would exist. evry new person that I read about,talk to or meet is a insperation to me,so thank you...

4/16/2004 2:38:50 AM

Kenyon, Mn.

Well I will say this now, and will be copying and pasting some of it this fall in response to all of your CONGRATULATORY posts to me...THE CHAMP!LOL, How can I spend the time at this keyboard to pick out the one who has influenced me the most, ALL OF YOU, EVERYONE, has been WONDERFULL!!!I reckon it would be or could be best to give a BIG THANK YOU to JOHN and KEN, ALL OF YOU have contributed to MY MADNESS!!!

4/16/2004 7:18:39 AM

New Hampshire

I can mostly blame Jim Kuhn For my contracting this disease. The rest of the NH boys helped in making the condition worst. Thanks, I hope I will never get cured. Jim Ford

4/16/2004 7:26:03 AM

Western Pa.

Tim Parks and the OVGPG got me started, after seeing "the big ones" at the Canfield Fair. It took me a few years to finally make it to one of their free beginner seminars, but it was "terminal" for me after that! It has always amazed me that someone would fly or drive half way across the country just to see someone's dirt, and enjoy a picnic! The willingness of the Ohio guys to provide seed, information, and a good time has always been tantamount! And the opportunity to actually witness several world records when they tipped the scales-PRICELESS! It would take too much time to list all the "Ohio Valley Legends" that have helped me, but you know who you are! Special thanks to John and Ken for kicking it up a notch, where I can feed my addiction 24 hours of any day! And to Howard and family, for whom we owe much thanks for the pleasure and joy we've derived. I've only met 1 or 2 pumpkin growers from across the country that I didn't like, and they were EXTREME mental cases! Thanks to the brotherhood of giant pumpkin growers worldwide and to the Lord above!

4/16/2004 9:02:49 AM

Deer Park, WI

I give credit to Casey Neuville for setting the hook. Way back in '00 I jumped on looking for any younger growers who were sharing this growing obsession. Case was the first to respond and happenend to be a fellow WI grower. He sent a buttload of seeds to get me started and told me about the Nekoosa weighoff. The rest is history. So thanks Case, for getting me into this deeper than i ever expected!

Also owe a big thanks to Beachy, for paving my way to 1000, and Tremor for his generosity and ability to bounce crazy ideas off of. Ken and John of course. And last but not least, Brent Richey for what he is doing for the pumpkin world.

4/16/2004 9:13:33 AM

Edmonton, Canada

There's no doubt about this one.... Ken and John.

4/16/2004 10:10:14 AM

Waquoit Mass

HOWARD DILL whom without him we probably wouldnt be havin this much fun and JACK LARUE who always will answer a question dave

4/16/2004 11:03:35 AM

Montoursville, PA

I gotta lay the credit to this site. I was surfing and stumbled into it. No references. I dialed up Big Pumpkins and our friend Mr. Google led me here. Here I read about the books and bought them from Don Langevin. In the book I found Tony Ciliberto a bit more than an hour to my East. Into the car I jumpped at Tony's invite to see his patch. What I saw was three over a thousand pounds about August 15th. Tony invited me to the Weigh Off in Altoona were I saw nearly a hundred huge pumpkins. Damn no darn fool such as I can, after all this, not try, to grow one. :)

I enjoy show and tell so the diary challenge, to show something I wish I had seen the year before I needed it, keeps me thinking, for me, and for you.

The the ongoing banter here on the site has enabled me to withdraw help and encouragement from endless guys and girls. Yes help...lots of it just by reading and asking that simple question...who is speaking and why.

I missed Craig Lembke....this guy is top shelf. He has been priceless to me and more than generous with his time helping me.

4/16/2004 11:12:34 AM

South Hill, Virginia

If I had to pick just one it would be Kilr. He has been there for me since day one. He even acted excited when I grew a 247 pound pumpkin my first year....what a guy!

Not many growers would take an annoying newbie like myself under their wing like he did.

4/16/2004 12:09:09 PM

Central Connecticut

I was led down this path at the first sight of a huge pumpkin at the Big E...there, I bought a couple of seeds. After that I was hooked...I would say the biggest influence would be all the GREAT people on this sight. Between this sight and the Trilogy of books I have learned all I know about pumpkins....Thanks Everybody...Chris

4/16/2004 12:14:28 PM

East Lyme, C.T>

After recieving some seed from a family member last year I planted them not knowing anything about the finer points of growing a big one. With the help of Don Langevin's book I stumbled through the season ending a with a decent size pumpkin.That was all it took to get me hooked on this amazing plant. I talked to Hugh Wiberg and he sent me some addresses from some of the top growers at the Topsfield Fair. I was really surprised when every seed request I sent out was answered with some top of the line seed. I have since met alot of these guys from N.H. and R.I. and they are all more than happy to give me advice when ever I ask. Jim Ford has been especially helpful answering my never ending questions. I feel that I will make long lasting friends in this hobby, seems like that is the nature of the people in this sport.

4/16/2004 5:28:46 PM

Huntsburg,Ohio

Hey i have to say My Uncle Jerry Rose is like a model for me to look up to and ask quistions about stuff and he tills my garden what a guy. He would never think i would ever say such a thing to guys. Clinton

4/16/2004 5:47:38 PM

Eveleth MN

Pretty much anybody thats in the chat room every single night!!! very helpful folks!

4/16/2004 6:49:48 PM

Norton, MA

My first would have to be my neighbor Cherrie. She got me interested in farming and growing and showed me the wonders of pumpkins at a very very early age. She helped me grow my very own 15 pound pumpkin when I was just six. Then when I was eleven I started my first AG's and visited the very close by patch of Don Langevin. That year I grew an 8 pounder. Then, by chance, my mom (who makes comercials and parts of TV shows) got the job of filming the Topsfield Fair segment of Garden Giants One on HGTV. There I met Glenn Peters who sent me my first ever (non field planted) AG pumpkin seeds. 371 and 525 Peters. I had asked Don earlier in the year for a seed from his 953. Instead he gave me the seed that grew his 953, the 869.5 Calai which grew my current PB of 370.6. I couldn't have been more grateful. Then at the Boston Flower Show I met John Ducete. We talked about pumpkins for just a couple minutes but being only the third grower that I had met then it was amaizingly interesting. Now I have received seeds from hundreds of people, met hundreds of people, and gone to many pumpkin events. All the others could not be listed if the whole website was filled up but I thank EVERYONE a thousand times over. Thank you all, Alex Noel.

4/16/2004 9:35:26 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

It was probably 5 years ago now that I caught Hugh Wiberg's
AG dissertation on a Saturday morning at the local co-op.
My mission to pick up some birdseed somehow turned horribly wrong. Yea, you guessed it, I'm now addicted to AG 's and this sight is my FIX! Thanks Ken and John for the forum !

4/16/2004 9:47:29 PM

Norton, MA

OOOOOH boy. Just a bit long!

4/16/2004 9:48:16 PM

Johnston, R.I.

The three people who helped me and coached me down this road to insanity are John Castallucci, Steve Sperry, and Joe Jutras. Thanks a million guys.

4/16/2004 9:55:13 PM

Wichita, KS

Howard Dill... the seed he developed was what I was looking for!
Kathie Morgan... for making me want to enter a weigh-off with a 176 pound pumpkin that looked like a watermelon. That's when I got hooked.
Kevin Smith, for filling me with enthusiasm, and lots of cool seeds
Kyle Little, my secret santa, who got me REALLY thinking about seed selection, and some cool seeds!
Doc Gipe, for convincing me to do everything in my power to go organic (I'm getting nice results already!)

KEN & JOHN! them da bom! :-D Thanks, guys


... I feel like I'm accepting an Oscar Award or something...

4/17/2004 3:43:59 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

I tell you what Bill...it's all the people here who start threads like this that kept me going! I had a few tough years there without pumpkins and the encouragement I got from the posts and chat room was the only thing that made me keep going...A guy named Kilr came to my rescue by answering my first post..G and farmer scott, Alun, Jeff glover and Pappy rivalry made me smile.Ben Boyntons diary kept me inspired , Bryan Saylors diary of the Rodan classic made my whole family laugh. Inspired and still without a pumpkin I went to Niagara to see what these people were all about...Once their met some of the real "BIG PUMPKIN" people. Howard and Danny, caught Jim Kuhn's and Charlie Houghtons "shhhhh don't tell em everything act" and I knew I would never miss another Niagara...Just some of the nicest people I have ever met were there..Jus talking pumpkins...I can't name ya all but joze,daver,randy and deb,
ice-man, mud-flap,andyw,drew, markp,ceis,docipe,tremor, capt, bart, borer, duff, kennyb, ben, polkadot...thanks and thank you Ken and John for allowing us all to use your great site!
Chuck

4/17/2004 6:33:01 AM

Long Island,New York

Well...back in the 80's when I was growing 1000lbers consistently I have to say Jill was the best influence. Then I stopped, lost track of Jill, and then started up again...only to grow 500-600lbers....so I guess that proves that....Jill's Da Man !!!

4/17/2004 1:09:19 PM

Key West, FL

I thought Jill was a woman?

4/17/2004 2:04:17 PM

Ontario

was that a 1000 pounds on 4 plants g lol

4/17/2004 6:01:01 PM

ontario

he is alive.........welcome back Drew LOL

4/17/2004 7:23:28 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Two thing come to mind very quickly. My mother & father thier love of gardening and family gave me the best education of all. BP.com it is my home away from the rat race. Thanks to all in the pumpkin growing community.

4/18/2004 5:53:53 AM

Long Island,New York

Yes drew....each plant had one. BTW....got any extra seedlings?

4/18/2004 10:03:13 AM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Joel Holland for the videos, and Kirk Mombert for the
bright orange color!

4/20/2004 10:52:58 AM

Sequim, WA

First I'd have to say my dad, because he got me started with the gardening bug. Then Joel Holland, Kirk Mombert, and Jack LaRue and Shellie Cramer. It helps to have these folks local and available and they have contibuted immeasurably with seeds, advice, camaraderie and inspiration.

4/20/2004 4:46:19 PM

Sydney, Australia

Dozens of people have helped me along the way!
Most influence would be from: Eric Gerry, Casey Neuville, David Garrell, Tom Beachy, Carlos Perez and Kevin Smith.
Thanks guys!!!

4/22/2004 9:46:23 AM