From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Oak Grove, Mn

how many growers think that weighoffs. are not fun..but a stress event. Should the joy of growing finish with the stress of dealing with public scrutiny. I am crowd shy..wonder who else is?

10/11/2015 2:22:39 AM

Alex, IN

Not crowd shy here. I love to use the allure of the giant pumpkins to educate the public about how important farming and producing food is to our local economy.

Giving the public knowledge about where their food comes from is one of the greatest things we can do in this hobby. Many people have grown up without any knowledge of understanding about what it takes to grow food and how important it is to their everyday life.

This is the reason I am not crowd shy at weigh-offs.

10/11/2015 6:55:33 AM

Claysburg , PA

I take small pumpkins to the weigh offs every year and love going . To me it is time to enjoy the fellowship with other growers . Crowd shy not so , these are the people that I actually like being around . I can`t say that about many people .

10/11/2015 7:56:06 AM

brooklyn New York

I can't wait to take a pumpkin to get weight in

10/11/2015 7:57:20 AM

Bloomfield, Iowa

I think stress is really in the last 30 days in the patch worrying that something might go wrong. At the weigh off I believe Gene Mcmullen ' s call sign on this site says it all," it is what it is".

10/11/2015 8:17:14 AM

East Jordan, MI

Meeting up with people who share your passion is anything but stressful.

Our giants in Circleville are on Display for 4 days, and hundreds of thousands of people see them. Myself and volunteers from our club spend more than 10 hours a day at the Display every day to watch people's reaction, answer their questions, take pictures with them, and attempt to get them started in the hobby with a packet of 4 seeds and a How to brochure so they can see first hand how incredible these things really are.

Seeing the wonderment of someone who has never seen a giant is something I will never tire of.

Answering all of their questions as they digest the fact that this is a real living fruit and enjoying their disbelief in what their eyes are seeing, their ears are hearing, and their hands are touching.

Giant Pumpkins are magical.

10/11/2015 8:30:27 AM

50 Acres

I don,t have a weigh off plant each year. But I have 18 buses pass my house twice each day. Troops of little tots come around each fall, to see my plants. The school is just up the hill Its a fun time of year. Jim

10/11/2015 8:47:03 AM

Central Illinois

I have anxiety problems but its a daily thing,I stress out about even going to a event ,even the chat room bugs me so much I dont go there.

10/11/2015 8:50:00 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Nothing more that I enjoy, than pumpkins. Throw the inquisitive public in the mix, and I will answer the same question all day long. Hook a few new growers and mission accomplished. I wish I could make enough money off carving and growing pumpkins to retire.

10/11/2015 9:00:01 AM

Wixom MI.

I dont worry about the compitition, i just focus on personal best and everything else is just a bonus !!! I dont like stress so i dont worry about the compitition. I just go to see old freinds and look for the big suprizes at the event.its all about having fun not stress.

10/11/2015 11:21:20 AM

Colorado

Its all good-icing on the cake.

10/11/2015 1:14:03 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I have a blast at the weigh off. Seeing all the people taking pictures of their kids with the pumpkins, answering all the questions. And this year we got to experience all the rubber-neckers on the road and at the gas station on the way to Nebraska. We never got that with a 3 mile trip on the back roads into Anamosa.

10/11/2015 1:40:58 PM

North Smithfield, RI

very stressful for me at weigh-offs . Large crowds and people I don.t know freezes me up .
I liked the old days when only a hundred people were watching and I knew all the growers .

10/11/2015 5:55:58 PM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

You were on my look up list to match face with BP name. Probably talked to you, I tried to talk to most growers either on the way in or out. Try to get to know the growers if your with people you know crowds become less of a problem. I come early and leave late, because I hate the traffic. We all have our idiosyncrasies.

10/11/2015 6:53:13 PM

bnot you described me to a t shy lock up on camera cant speak,

10/11/2015 7:32:16 PM

New Richmond WI

It was fun meeting you today Bnot

10/11/2015 10:38:20 PM

Citrus Heights, CA

Ha-ha Don, Bnot don't you believe Don Young for a second. Put a microphone in his hand or not and he will talk everybody's ear off.

10/11/2015 11:15:46 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Bnot,
I was hoping to meet you, but after I got there and saw all the people, I thought it would be unlikely. With cell phones/texts things can be arranged easier in those situations. Although I rarely carry a cell phone outside of my car, and don't text. Not my cup of tea I guess.

10/11/2015 11:51:11 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

thank you everyone for your helpful replies....there is always next year ..

10/12/2015 5:30:14 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Yeah Don is very Camera Shy, and hates to speak in public.

10/12/2015 7:32:39 AM