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nOVA sCOTIA

Just had a lengthy conversation with another grower over whether or not this hobby is growing or not. Excuse the language but kids are lazy as f%^k these days! Is the hobby growing or not?????

1/24/2016 3:11:35 PM

Germany

This hobby is growing, even though kids might be playing a less pronounced role for the additions to the growth curve.

1/24/2016 3:59:51 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Kids aren't lazy, parents are. Any parent has the ability and authority to switch off the electronic baby-sitter and restrict the use of other devices and become more active with the kids should they choose to do so. I realize that two incomes are necessary and that both parents are busy themselves, but it's possible to manage time more efficiently and force kids to spend more time with their hands in the dirt.

1/24/2016 4:54:20 PM

Upa Creek, MO

I don't think kids are lazy either. As a kid I played sports all year and chased girls... would not have time for pumpkins nor would have wanted to, and I doubt much has changed. I think of it more as a hobby for people who are at a point in their lives of being settled down and owning property. That being said, I don't ever see the sport growing too big given the daily commitment that other activities don't require.

1/24/2016 5:14:36 PM

Colorado

Its growing,all the internet exposure such as BP.com,clubs, contest exposure creates new interest and new growers.Look at how many strong growers have popped up in California alone.

1/24/2016 5:54:09 PM

Hanson Ma

All kids are lazy because if you as a parent don't enforce values they wont care. They learn by what they are shown. This sport is definatly growing. As a kid I hated taking care of the chickens weeding and working in the garden. And here I am at 48 years old raising chickens gardening and growing giant pumpkins. I have only been involved in giants for 5 years and see huge jumps in weights and information available to everyone. Are you going to see millions made? maybe for some. But I don't think anyone is in this because they thought they can make millions. What do you really expect to see if the sport is growing? There are more weigh offs more clubs and weights are growing because of the info out there now. Don't put this on kids being lazy. Kids need encouragement to be involve in this.

1/24/2016 7:02:29 PM

Muddy Waters

Its growing! it will double in the next 5 years

1/24/2016 9:15:07 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

It's growing in our Province, that is for sure. More growers keeping diaries and more people each year entering pumpkins at our weighoff. It's not really a kid kinda hobby, we are seeing more middle aged and semi-retired folks taking up the hobby. People see what my wife and I can grow in our backyard in the big city, and they figure they can do the same thing.

1/24/2016 10:11:13 PM

Kaukauna, Wisconsin

The Sport or Hobby will grow if you create more Weigh Off sites. We see that in our state of Wisconsin.
Find a nice fall festival a add a weigh off to it.

1/25/2016 7:36:23 AM

Muddy Waters

I had 3 new growers just in my town alone in 2015.Glens right its retired people with time & money jumping in.It will grow form all directions.The internet will speed things up.

1/25/2016 7:40:16 AM

Ireland

I'm 22, been growing since I was 7. I wouldn't consider myself lazy by any means. As TruckTech said, kids are lazy because parents are!

1/25/2016 8:03:19 AM

Rhode Island

MOST YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT INTERESTED AS MUCH IN GARDENING AS THEY ARE JUST HAVING FUN EXPERIENCING & GROWING THEMSELVES.
OCCASIONALLY A YOUNG PERSON WILL EMERGE HOWEVER, FOR THE MOST PART NEW GROWERS TEND TO JUMP INTO THE HOBBY AS THEY MATURE.
A LOT DEPENDS AS WELL ON HOW INVOLVED THEY WERE WITH GARDENING ACTIVITIES AND PARENTS AS A CHILD.
PAP

1/25/2016 8:11:48 AM

50 Acres

I,ve had young lads ask for seeds which I shared. But over the summer they discover girls and their gone .

1/25/2016 8:41:09 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Youth likely won't go out of their way but if opportunity knocks a few may give it a try. I'm in the development stage of youth memberships, and youth group memberships. If our club accepts my upcoming proposals, the next year or two might see a large increase in youth giving it a try. Promote the community, increase memberships, develop new growers!
wisconsingiantpumpkingrowers.com

1/25/2016 9:29:38 AM

Eugene,OR

When I was a kid I saw a "Giant Pumpkin" at the Kansas State Fair & from that point on I wanted to grow one myself. It wasn't until I owned my own house with a place to grow one that I had the opportunity. I think growing space is a limiting factor for a lot of kids.

1/25/2016 9:43:13 AM

Corryton, TN

Looking at the number of entries over the last 9 years there is an uptrend with some valleys in the chart. Melons and squash moving up. Is it growing I'd say yes but not by "giant" leaps.

Worked a lot of teenagers here on the farm over the years even inner city kids. Most were NOT from a farming background. So much difference between each kids work ethic, even between siblings. Can't tell any difference than when I was growing up in the 60's and 70's. Some want to work, some don't.

What I've found in coaching kids is they have to have fun and see personal success. Coach young growers to get those first pumpkins to a weigh off at 35-50 days.

1/25/2016 10:20:03 AM

Eganville, Ontario

I think vine burying is a sport, the other parts of pumpkin growing is a hobby, I guess.

It's such a different "hobby" to gauge. The average age of participant is higher than most sports or hobbies. The baby boomer group will continue to be a key demographic as many retire now and free up more time and also look for activities to work on. I think that's probably the average age right there, so you may see a drop in a decade or so as that group backs off.

Not sure how many young growers are coming up. As some have said, you need a house, and yard and free time and money. Not always easy to have all four.

Like I said above, it's an interesting group of growers. I'm considered a "young" grower at 33. While at pick-up hockey I'm considered an old guy, and lately I've started to believe it as I try and chase around 18 year olds on the ice.

I guess pumpkin growing is the only sport that gives you four decades to hone your skills, lol.

1/25/2016 12:13:51 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

I think youth need time to come around. Someone usually has to reach a place where they have their own piece of ground and isn't moving every year to be in a place where they can devote some time to it. But I don't think we should look to youth... they will come around, if they come around, when they get settled.

I think there may be something to the saying, "One of a city, two of a family." In the entire Pocatello area (about 100K people) the only active growers are me and my sister. This sport/hobby has a lot of room to grow, a lot. But I have handed out seeds to about two dozen interested people and none of them have become a permanent grower. I find it so compelling but not many others do. Some try it, but don't have the focus to be thinking about what is going on with their plants at all times. So we have one cold night and it's all over for them, despite my pleadings to "remember your plants!"

1/25/2016 3:18:53 PM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

My brother told me about Giant Pumpkins in the early 80s when Howard Dill set the world records. I knew if I had the place and time I would start growing them. I was 38 when we purchased an old farmstead in 1983 the house was partially stripped to begin renovation and it took us year to make it livable. In 1984 I grew my first AGs 200# and for twenty years just grew porch sitters while we raised our children and worked on the house. In 2004 I decided to grow competitively. Children are not lazy they have higher desire to put their talents and time elsewhere.

1/25/2016 10:39:55 PM

Central Illinois

I gave a 400 pound something pumpkin to the Junior High School to raffle off maybe donating more pumpkins to schools could help, or donate seeds to schools and FFA

1/26/2016 8:43:04 AM