From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Oak Grove, Mn

For the past 2 winters I have been watching the seed auctions and have noting how well tomato seeds have sold. I have done a bit of research and compared revenue generated by tomato seed sales versus prize payout for tomatoes at their respective weighoffs. There are clubs that pay nothing in prizes for tomatoes but have generated hundreds of dollars in revenue from auction of tomato seeds. As the clubs set the prize funds for this year I encourage returning some of the tomato revenue into supporting the tomato growers. It costs to grow these plants too.

7/26/2017 7:33:18 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

I think that's a great idea.

7/26/2017 7:36:51 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

Yes, I agree, mostly because I'm a little biased towards tomatoes too. Clubs should pay something, if not a little more. Maybe right up there with field pumpkins. There is rising popularity so we created a competition for the PGVG club members this year:
http://www.pgvg.org/promos-for-2017.html

Would I want $1000 for first place at a weigh-off?...hell yah! But in reality, I watched last year as hundreds of people from the public walked by the table with 1-4 lb tomatoes, and Jack LaRue's 7.19 which drew a little more attention, and basically turned their backs to watch the real draw, the AG's. That's where the sponsors are at and that is where the real action is no matter how popular we want tomatoes to be.
I am a firm believer in raising awareness for large tomatoes to help boost $ for the clubs. The majority of good seeds come from growers who enter the GPC early weigh-off through out the Summer.

Bnot, I think you are an exception to the rule on spending to grow tomatoes. I spent some $ also and don't expect to ever come close to earning anything back. Bnot, do you only grow for a weigh-off or have you thought about entering the early tomato weigh-off? I know you had some misfortunes this year. You have done a ton of work and spent a fortune just to enter a tomato in Fall-weigh off is just insane to me, LOL. For crying out loud...produce something this Summer! Looks like you are well on your way. Those flowers are killer you got going! Good luck.

7/26/2017 8:04:58 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

No one ever earn back what they spend to grow giant vegetables. Remember it is hobby not a job. After losing my pumpkins to hail I am thankful that I have the opportunity to grow for fall weighoff. Fortunately my local weighoff (Gale Woods Farm Oct 7th) will have what I believe will be the highest payout for maters in the country ($500 first, $250 second and $100 third). I have been in conversations in how to maintain this prize fund level. We are discussing a club website seed sale. I believe that the club can come up with a seed package that will sell enough to maintain the prize fund.

7/26/2017 8:19:32 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

My goal this year is to prove that it is possible to grow for a specific date. Worried about some of the other Minnesota growers. The point of this post was to highlight the fact that there are many clubs that are receiving revenue from tomatoes without putting it back. Better return of revenue will grow interest in this plant faster.

7/26/2017 8:23:56 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

I see your point. A lot of money has been made from tomato seeds and it doesn't go back to the tomato growers who grows them.

7/26/2017 8:28:36 PM

Wixom MI.

Good point. I know that Michigan made over $200 on tomato seeds auction and our tomato 1st place prize is like $25
I joined mark Clementz site because he pays $500 for 1st $250 for second and pays out 7 -10 places. I think the only way you can get a real pay out for tomato contests is do a tomato club like the watermelon club (GWG)has.

7/27/2017 12:01:40 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Guys. The GPC is about pumpkins, giant pumpkins. This site is about pumpkins, BigPumpkins.com Tomatoes are small, even when they are big. A big pumpkin is striking and attracts lots of attention. A big tomato is not in that category. The GPC was kind enough to include us in the pumpkin growers club but they will never embrace us as they do pumpkins. Neither will anyone else. Grow a big tomato, accept a small prize and some recognition and a plaque and go home happy with a degree of satisfaction. Tomatoes will never be about big dollars. In fact, I am not certain that large sums of money for prizes has not had a negative effect on the pumpkin growing "sport." I would agree that the prizes offered at the weigh-offs for tomatoes are quite small but we don't exactly have a seat at the table. I don't see any change in the near future. Eddy Z jacked up the world record prize and I thank him for that.

7/27/2017 4:09:19 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

Marv, this is not about big money. I do not expect tomatoes to have a $30,000 first prize which one weighoff would have paid for world record pumpkin last year. This is about recognizing that tomato seeds have been a good source of revenue and returning some of that back to the growers of the fruit that is generating it. I am not saying that all revenue should go back... But if a club is asking for seeds from the mater growers but does not even offer a tomato category at their weighoff something is wrong.

7/27/2017 6:27:25 PM