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Barnesville, OH and Bethesda, OH

Brooks, Michelle and anyone else


Hopefully your pumpkins survived the festival. We went Sunday to pick up our pumpkin and could not believe how bad it looked. When we was up there on Friday, we couldn't believe how many kids was just mauling all over them.I don't have a problem with them wanting to touch and get there pics taken with them, but jumping, stomping and etc on each of them is a little too much to handle, considering all your hard work you have put into getting them there so people can see them...Our poor baby came home all bruised and banged up.she had a big bang up on the bottom of her but all in she survived.Plus i noticed on either the 2nd or 3rd place pumpkin the stem had been pulled, or kicked or stomped off and some of them behind the King Pumpkin was missing their stems, those kiddies are sure hard on them


I didn't like the set up of how they displayed them this year, the pallet idea was great, but i think they needed to be spaced out some more, that way folks would have been able to get in the middle of them and see them close up...but that is only my opinion.I'm gonna see if they can do something different next year, last year they was displayed apart and people really liked that, this year i heard alot of them growling about they couldn't get in and see them up close

9/26/2006 4:31:28 PM

Minerva,ohio

Hey Crystal-
I think my pumpkins survived, they are coming home tomorrow. I have a dear friend along with my step dad-Charlie (who I will let remain nameless to protect him):)who played a whopper of a practical joke on me. Upon contacting my Mom to see if all went well pickin up the 'kins she told me that something had happened and I needed to talk to my dad or "unnamed friend" so I proceeded to contact my friend to find out he said that when arriving to pick up the 'kins there were only 2 and not 3. He proceeded to make me believe that for some unknown reason my pumpkin had been mistaken for the volunteer'd pumpkin to be hollowed out and seeds given out to all interested. Well, after voicing my concern over my lost seeds and pretty pumpkin he soo kindly let me in on the joke. I was so befunggled I didn't know wht to do, I was trying to think who to call first,(I was secretly hoping that some King seeds would be making their way to my hands for suffering:) whew, thank God he let me in on the joke before I called and made a complete goof of myself.
So long story short- I'm just happy to have them coming home in one piece:)

Michelle

9/26/2006 6:33:12 PM

Ohio

Crittle,

Thats the only thing I dont like about Barnesville, last two years my pumpkins have been scratched ,dented, stems tore off and what ever eles you can think of. We as growers baby these pumpkins for 3 months trying not to even breath hard on our pumpkins from not scratching them or for what ever reason and are really extra extra extra careful loading them on the truck to take them to weigh off. We baby them on the ride to the weigh off trying not to slam on our breaks to hard and even avoid the smallest pot hole to get it to the scales saftly. Then after our year of planning and 3 months of growing leave the scales you dont even get a chance to admire them because kids and (some adults) are already sitting on them using them as a ash tray putting their cigeretts out on, jumping on them ,using the stem as a step to get up on the pumpkins, and even carving their initails in them. I even watched the guy that was using the fork truck that was bringing other pumpkins off the scale to set down hit mine 2 times, once in the front side of one of my pumpkins leaving a big gash init,second time he hit it he side swiped it and left a nice long deep 8 inch gash in it. Third time My wife said he hit it and pushed it into 2 other pumpkins. Its obvious the guys that run this weigh off has never grown one of these Giants. Sorry Crittle, you just hit a nerve when you brought this subject up,lol.

9/26/2006 8:51:39 PM

Midwest

Michelle
I'm glad your pumpkins made it safely home! By the way, thanks for your 481 seed and helping me during the season. I hope to post pics of the pumpkins in my diary.
From Illinois,
Greg

9/26/2006 11:31:53 PM

Salmon Arm, BC

Do any of you experienced growers have any advice on the subject?? This does really suck! I had my share of this abuse also this year. I couldn't imagine defacing the product of someone's hard work. It's amazing how many idiots there are out there. ps most of the "abuse" came from adults! unbeleivable!

9/27/2006 4:13:20 AM

Minerva,ohio

greg- No sweat, I'm glad you gave the 481 a go. I'm looking forward to seeing your pics!
I'd like to chime in here if I may, as far as the issue with the abuse of the pumpkins, I have to agree. It is really sad to see what can be done in a matter of days at the hands of the public. Unfortunetly we aren't able to be watching over our 'kins once they are out of our care. I look for improvements to be made in this area in upcoming festivals,don't be afraid to let the committee know your concerns, they only know what is brought to their attention. I for one would really like to see the pumpkin festival continue to prosper and without the future participation of growers it would just be any other street fair. Just remember- this festival is run by many hardworking volunteers,and most do not know the loving care these 'kins got before they arrived in a pick-up truck.
Anyways,that's just my 2 cents worth. Looking for better things to come,
Michelle

9/27/2006 7:14:25 AM

Ohio

I hope so Michelle, I know you are striving for better things with Barnesville and the growers. I Know your input will be something to look foward to.Maybe we can talk to someone their to make it a GPC site aswell. Ill help you anyway I can, You need any help on something let me know.

Brooks

9/27/2006 8:51:45 AM

Ohio

Oh, one last thing Michelle, Men are never wrong,,,,,,LOL

9/27/2006 8:54:50 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

This will take some thinking as our first weigh off with the public is coming up. I guess Im expecting the worse after reading some of these articles. I do believe this will be a problem due to a select few that do not respect other peoples property. The last thing I want to do is get upset and somemone else's youngster or a oldster that defacing someone else's property. Guess it comes with going public and I just shake my head......Signs are a option but common sense is not.......Pretty sad....

9/27/2006 8:57:20 AM

Minerva,ohio

Thanks Brooks :)
I'm hoping for the best!
And I'm still gonna debate with you about that man thing :)
Michelle

9/27/2006 12:22:18 PM

Barnesville, OH and Bethesda, OH

Well Guys,

I guess i really stirred the hornet nest up...lol....with this discussion......

Brooks, I have been reading all about the GPC thing and this was way before the weight off and I have been tossing and turning the idea in my head to start up a GPC in Barnesville....My Pappy said that Todd told him that at one time they had a site in Barnesville, but let it go....

When i started doing the research on possible going to a GPC site, it was too late to register for one, plus I didn't want to have the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival Committe mad or upset thinking that someone was trying to take away from them....The last thing I wanted to do was upset anyone with trying going to a GPC SITE.......but I really believe deep down in my heart that making Barnesville an Official GPC SITE IS THE WAY TO GO, in my opionion it would possible branch the festival out in MORE GROWERS PARTICIPATING....Possible getting new growers to compete. Heck this is only mine and my Father's 3rd year to grow and it started out as a way for a Grown Daughter to spend some good quality time with her Father....Now that I have had Baby Harlee, She will be a 3rd Generation Grower,whether she wants to or not,we have already initated her into it....

But I'm willing to take on the responability to make it a GPC SITE, all i need is some help and a little push in the Right Direction....

9/27/2006 3:12:54 PM

Barnesville, OH and Bethesda, OH

Michele,

I whole-heartingly agree with ya, The Festival is run by a great crew who are hard-working individuals that try to make the best of it....I personally know a few of them on the committee and you couldn't ask for better people...

I just think that they need some new faces and some younger blood to start to donate their time.....I'm getting ready to make a phone call to tell them that i'm interested in signing up for next years committees....

I know that their are a few growers that are writing letters to the committee about their concerns of how the pumpkins are handled and displayed....They are going to offer some advice on how to handle it for next year....

So if anyone that displays down there would like to write a letter, you can forward your letter to me and i'll personally see to it that they make it to the proper people....you can email me if you have any questions....

9/27/2006 3:19:00 PM

Beach Park, IL.

I can say that I am not surprised that these people do this type of thing. This is just how society is now a days. No one thinks, or has any respect. You can say a lot of this experience comes from working retail. You see things everyday that people do, and you just ask yourself "why?". We may never know.

9/27/2006 5:42:16 PM