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Deer Park, WI

Pumpkin Growers-

Happy July 1st. I hope your pumpkin patches are meeting and/or exceeding expectations.

We are writing to inform you of an exciting development the SCGA is going to begin supporting. SCGA member Robert Borgers, in collaboration with the SCGA board, has coordinated an effort to launch a "Howard Dill Prettiest Pumpkin Championship" event to be held at Stillwater Harvestfest. This competition seeks to crown a champion prettiest pumpkin from the current year Howard Dill award winners from any weigh-off that presents this award to its contestants. In this program, pumpkins awarded the Howard Dill prize at previously held weigh-off sites are invited to bring their fruit to Harvestfest to be considered for the champion prettiest pumpkin award. This contest is sponsored by the SCGA and is in no way affiliated with the GPC award for their overall Howard Dill winner, however it is possible that the winning pumpkin could be considered for the GPC award as well.

Giant pumpkin growers present at Stillwater Harvestfest who are not entered in the HD award contest vote by ballot to select the winner (Formal selection criteria to be announced at a later time). The SCGA will fund the creation of a travelling trophy awarded to the winner each year along with an engraved metal plate to commemorate the milestone. Trophy must return to Harvestfest each year for hand off to next year's winner. The SCGA/Harvestfest will fund a monetary prize of $500 to the winner, under the stipulation that all HD contestants generously donate 50-75 seeds from their HD fruit to the SCGA for revenue generation purposes.

7/1/2018 12:29:17 PM

Deer Park, WI

HD winners from neighboring sites are not eligible for Harvestfest prizemoney, per GPC rules regarding dual weighing of fruit. These entries would exclusively be competing for bragging rights of champion prettiest pumpkin. If a single grower is awarded HD award at multiple contests, that grower will be allowed to enter more than a single HD fruit in the final contest.

To reiterate, we welcome any Howard Dill award winner from any site across the globe to compete in Stillwater for HD championship bragging rights and cash. Our event always takes place the 2nd Saturday of Oct, meaning most HD awards will have been given and arrangements can be made to visit Stillwater.

We look forward to encouraging and rewarding growers for their efforts in pursuing the prettiest pumpkin. Best of luck to all!

7/1/2018 12:29:28 PM

Hadley Ny

Nice Idea but are you paying for transportation and lodging??

7/1/2018 2:28:48 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I hope we have at least one to take to Stillwater. My son and I have 5 of our 6 plants growing from proven orange seed stock. Sounds like a fun competition.

7/1/2018 3:02:17 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

If you can get here and win, and keep your budget under $500 it would it cover it. I expect that the HD winners from Gale Woods and Anoka can get to Stillwater reasonably easily. I also think that the Nekoosa winner could be in range. Probably a few others...Harrisburg, SD, Wisconsin Dells, Thunder Bay, Iowa etc.

In addition to the prize fund, there also might be the possibility that if the grower was interested that there might be some potential buyers of pumpkins for display purposes. Also you get to show off your beauty to the 10,000 people crowd. And the bragging rights...best of the best...

I have exchanged communications with Joe. As this is not an official GPC event..if you can get your pumpkin here, he is potentially willing to allow the grower not to be present to win. This helps some growers that can show at an earlier weighoff, but do to work or other circumstances can't attend more than one weighoff.

One thing to stress..This is completely separate from the GPC weighoff at Stillwater. It is not affecting the prize fund at the Harvestfest at all. It is meant as a fun event the the orange growers in the area and to give a little bit of special reward to those that grow for beauty.

Hopefully this first year will go well and be fun. The winner will be chosen by the rest of the pumpkin growers. Trial event this year...if it goes well, maybe some other regions in the country will line up the prettiest next to each other to choose the best of the beauties.

7/1/2018 3:20:47 PM

Blaine MN

This sounds great!

7/1/2018 3:27:59 PM

Hadley Ny

BNOT I like that idea a lot more than global. It would make it great for you Midwest Growers. Hope it works out and Good Luck!! T

7/1/2018 3:44:45 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

You have to say global..because no HD winner is excluded. If someone wanted to come from across the pond, they would be welcomed. Obviously, there is financial constraints as to how far a person can travel and still come out ahead. I think it should be fun. Shannon Engle has a whole list of criteria that should be considered for judging...I think the growers of the blob pumpkins will completely ignore that and pick which ever appeals to them at the moment. The stillwater growers are such a diverse group..that I think there wont be the issue of personal favoritism. Crossing my fingers that it goes well this year.

7/1/2018 3:52:26 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

muhahaha… :)

7/1/2018 7:31:39 PM

Johnston, R.I.

Good lock Shannon.

7/2/2018 4:31:45 AM

Westmoreland, KS

Hmm, Stillwater, MN nice little 8.5 hour drive

7/2/2018 10:00:03 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

16.5 hours for me. I’d love to see somewhere east coast pick it up. MAGPG can’t since we’re the last weekend of September, too early.

7/2/2018 9:59:33 PM