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Little-TON - Colorado

GPC WEIGH OFF Top Ten Rules
The GPC currently has regulations governing foreign substances and chemical residue. It is your weigh-off site and grower responsibility to enforce all GPC regulations to insure the safety of all concerned at the event. Sites can turn away or disqualify entries as called for with the full backing of the GPC if the weigh off entrée rules are not adhered to. Judges decisions are considered to be final. Sites not adhering to this should expect GPC intervention and maybe subject to loss of their GPC sanctioning upon multiple violations.
The following are guidelines for visual inspections and display:
Visual exam PRIOR to offloading and control of entries.
1.    All entries must be clean and free of foreign substance or chemical residue.
2.    All entries must be uncovered and accessible when brought to the offloading or staging area and then remain uncovered for public viewing.
3.    All entries will be visually examined PRIOR to offloading by a judge or designated person acting under the direction and on behalf of the site coordinator.
4.    All entries found to have chemical residue will not be offloaded. This rule pertains to all classes.

8/15/2018 11:47:31 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

5.    If residue is discovered, the grower will be turned away or directed to a wash station.
a.    Upon completion of cleaning the grower may return to the offloading or staging location to be re-inspected prior to offloading.
b.    Upon Approval, the entry may then be offloaded as long as all other site requirements have been met.
6.    If re-inspection results in disqualification the grower has the right to call for a judgement by the full team of site judges and coordinator.
7.    When the entries are offloaded, the control shifts to the site coordinator.
8.     A more thorough exam will then be performed by the site judges for any disqualifying factors.
9.    No shade coverings for wetting of the entry will be allowed once offloaded.
10.    Sites may allow water jugs to stay on until the fruit moves to the scale. However, the water jugs are to be removed when the stem is cut to weigh off requirements.
This check list should be provided to and understood by all site judges and weigh off coordinators.
For a complete listing off all weigh off rules please see the Weigh Off Hand Book at https://gpc1.org


GROW BIG and have a Wonderful time at your weigh off

GPC Committee
8/15/2018 9:44:18 AM

8/15/2018 11:47:42 AM

NILES , CALIF

What is foreign substance and chemical Residue???

8/15/2018 2:06:26 PM

Hadley Ny

I would be willing to guess that stuff like Captain , Sulphur Powder and other Chems that have the potential to ingure the judges or contaminate the site or other people would all fall into that category!! I wouldn't want to be a judge and subject myself to that. You wear gloves when you put it on..why not wash it off before the weighoff or go to a designated washing station. It's a Hobby why put people at risk?? Nice clarification Wizzy

8/15/2018 2:51:15 PM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

anything that isn't pumpkin, like it a lot
I presume this includes adding stuff to enhance color too

8/15/2018 3:04:28 PM

Topsfield,ma.

Key Word, Anything that is not pumpkin. Right on all count iceman.

8/15/2018 3:21:36 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

What is this new rule for no buffing for shine? I agree with no waxes, oils or chemicals. But a weekly washing and buffing with a soft cloth to bring out the color ,should not disqualify you. So if someone thinks someone's pumpkin is too pretty they can disqualify them? The Howard Dill award is a pretty pumpkin contest.....

8/16/2018 8:02:03 AM

Topsfield,ma.

How specific does it have to be? You can rub your fruit/vegetable, you can hug it or talk to it, you can even water it and spray whatever you normally do. But when it is brought to your weigh-off site it can not have anything that is not that fruit/vegetable on it.

8/16/2018 9:58:57 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Some growers admittedly shine or buff their orange pumpkins with tea tree soap (made from tea tree oil) and feel that is allowable while at the same time saying a couple drops of vegetable oil on a wet rag and buffed off is not acceptable.

I’ve seen pumpkins at Weighoff that “look” like they’ve been polished or shined, but they have no residue, oil or anything on them.

Can you imagine seeing a pumpkin DQ’d because an over zealous judge figured someone buffed or shined the fruit with a foreign substance?

8/16/2018 7:53:07 PM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

Tea tree oil, vegetable oil, etc etc Why would you put your fruit in Jeopardy. A Howard Dill winner is more than just a shine, It should be about the shape etc etc. If the grower admittingly said it they should be DQed

If you let the tea tree oil in, then Captain and Sulfur on the stem should be allowed too. Many do it and many have SLID past judging too.

Fair and equal playing field is so much better.

I would support the Judge if it looked cosmetic.

8/16/2018 8:36:26 PM

Team Munson

I really like the "do not unload" rule for toxic substances those must be washed completely off. It is much better to have a mad grower than take a chance a child comes in contact with these carcinogens not to mention the ramifications that would result because of it.

If you bag or put your vines in milk jugs please have some consideration for those who have to move your fruit at the site. If your pumpkin with the bagging or milk jugs can not be moved at the site with out assistance then they need to be cut off. Personally I feel the pumpkin should come off the truck or trailer ready for the scale, no residue no vines, unwrapped.

I know we wrap our pumpkins for travel & have already stopped the practice of bagging our vines so will be happy to comply with the "ready for the scale" before unload.

Good post Mr President it is good to see you & your team being proactive on these hot topics!!!!

8/17/2018 4:18:55 PM

Home of happy lil plants

Okay plot twist question. Sulfur(I'm allergic to so fully understand) and harsh captan will burn anyones eyes.

daconil(the cheap stuff from walmart) painted is 100% required on some cracks and normal stretch marks from say day 40-45ish onward here. the scrubbing that off off will literally take the skin of the pumpkin rind with it as the skin has stretched and even half absorbed sapped into some sections of it by weigh off time. What is expected on this Scenario? cut it out of the pumpkin?

8/17/2018 8:47:08 PM

Tenino, WA.

A couple of years ago I saw a fruit entered that had Captan on it. The judge required the grower to clean the fruit. As Spence said the Captan had been fused into the skin of the pumpkin. The grower cleaned it the best he could but the strip of white Captan fused skin could not be cleaned. Within a few minutes of the grower attempting to clean the pumpkin two little girls came over to look at the pumpkin. The first thing they did was to touch, rub and scratch the white strip of Captan fused skin. The next thing one of the little girls did was rub her eyes.

8/18/2018 10:29:53 AM

Tenino, WA.

This is a good rule. This rule is intended to protect all of us. Guests from begin injured or poisoned and the site and grower from being named in a lawsuit.

Try using products that do not leave residue such as a bleach solution or strong Hydrogen Peroxide products. After treating the fruit with these products add a fan to help dry the injured area.

8/18/2018 10:33:10 AM

Salem, Ohio USA

As an old chemical salesman: there is no need to have any fungicides on the actual pumpkin. They should always be covered with sheets- so no spray drift. Use 91% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Apply with a 1 quart spray bottle to cracks, splits, etc. With a constant fan it should dry up soft spots also. Captan is old news.

8/18/2018 1:18:01 PM

Sharon, MA

I put sulphur on scars on the pumpkin, the stem and blossom end. Its so easy to just wash off the stuff with a quick hose. It cleans the fruit in a minute on a sunny day.

8/18/2018 8:20:53 PM

Weatherman

Algae would Vodka work too?

8/18/2018 8:52:32 PM

Ipswich, Ma 01938

Thanks for posting. This will make it easier for the judges to enforce the rules without argument.

8/21/2018 4:47:18 PM