From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Appleton

I am not MAD at anyone...but I really can not understand why in an immense really neat club like our Wisc. Giant Pumpkin Club is that I can not find anyone willing to help me get a pumpkin to the Kenosha, WISC weigh-off off. In fact I would be happy to meet someone half way - it would make my day.
John Hoepfner

8/29/2019 2:40:39 PM

Weatherman

Fluff why just half way, is that all of the gas you have?

8/29/2019 4:13:27 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

sigh, John...your first weighed pumpkin was in 2012 at 71 pounds....7 years later...you new pb is questionable to beat your previous at 171 pounds. 7 years of knowledge available on PB. You are a nice guy.. I enjoyed the emails we have had...still waiting for the email..that you said you would continue. What have you done for other growers. Don't expect someone to move your pumpkins for you....If they do..it is because of charity.

8/29/2019 5:15:41 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

When I lived in Vancouver, we had a network of growers (myself, Richmond Dave, Scott Carley, Jeff Pelletier, Kate Mumford, Mauritzio Camparmo, Steve & Jeff, and others, and we all relied on each other when it came to lifting and transporting our pumpkins to the Weighoffs. As the years wore on, we had less and less “volunteers” and had to rely heavily upon each other or the pumpkins would not get to the destination.

Now, we have moved to Vancouver Island, and we don’t have access to our pumpkin pals when we need assistance, and we also aren’t available to help our buddies if they need help. So, we needed to become self sufficient or not bother growing.

We now have a custom made tripod lifter (thanks Steve Handy) a chain hoist and our very own truck. We moved and lifted one today, with the help of our neighbour and our daughters boyfriend. So, off to the Saanich Fair we go.

The other 2 pumpkins will likely just be done, with Andrea and myself, the tripod, chain hoist and truck. We have become self sufficient.

Good luck to you Fluffy, finding people to help you, but understand it is a lot to ask and you are honour bound to help them in their time of need also.

Best of luck/Glenn

8/29/2019 5:59:59 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Dude you know what I don’t understand, I don’t understand why you are still talking about this. I don’t understand how your personal mission to grow a giant pumpkin is ending in such a public pity party. I don’t understand why when I open the general discussion page, six or more of the threads on the front page are from you and not one of them having any relevant talk about actually growing pumpkins. Every one of these new entries pushes another useful tidbit off the first page and into the abyss. I don’t understand why you think prefacing the post with “I’m not mad” makes it okay to publicly slam a great group of growers for not being accommodating enough for your likes. I don’t understand how after all this time you still haven’t found some other way to move this pumpkin. I could lift a 300 pound pumpkin in the back of a sedan with the trunk open and be ready to drive to the weigh off in 30 minutes with one hand tied behind my back while I’m writing this post to you. I don’t understand why in my last post I suggested maybe stirring this bad blood wasn’t worth it and you seemed to agree with me yet here we are. Im sure you are a good guy, but this clearly isn’t working so you’ve got to go another route. I’m not one to slam others on this site but if I’m this tired of it I’m sure not the only one. Take an old comforter off the spare bed. Lay it next to the pumpkin. Find a station wagon, SUV, hatchback or an Oldsmobile with a big trunk. On Sunday go to church, tell 4 guys you’ve got a case of beer and a 300 pound pumpkin to lift. By early afternoon the thing will be in the vehicle and ready for you to hit the road.

8/29/2019 10:18:16 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Dang it I can’t help but feel bad about being so harsh, so I apologize Hoepfner. But please think about what I’ve said. Because this approach isn’t working. You’ve got several weeks till the weigh off, just find a vehicle, anything but a sports car, and a few guys. Family, coworkers, friends, church goers, neighborhood kids. And a heavy blanket. That’s all you need. You can do it.

8/29/2019 11:26:56 PM

Appleton

I'm done...sorry about the way I have acted....John

8/30/2019 7:41:59 AM

New England

Ask your neighbors. Roll it onto a blanket and use teamwork to get it into a car if you have to or rent a truck from home depot for the day. Otherwise, don't go to a weigh off. One thing I have learned about the Giant Pumpkin community is that they are a very helpful bunch. Very giving. Very kind. But, like everyone else, they live very busy lives too. And many have to take their time and energy to get their own pumpkins to the weigh off. They don't have time to help every other grower get their pumpkins to a weigh off. Part of growing is ensuring you have a vehicle to get it to the fair.

But most other growers don't have the time to help others transport and lift their pumpkins. Ask friends or neighbors who are nearby and rent a vehicle for the day. Coming onto a global message board probably isn't going to help you much.

I had one surviving pumpkin one year which was a little over 300 pounds. I was physically able to roll it over myself and onto a blanket. Family and friends helped pick it up into the back of the truck. It took all of 10 minutes. Ask around

8/30/2019 10:01:36 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I have loaded every one of my pumpkins by myself. No friends to help, no help from the wife. Mind you, my best is only 1200 pounds. I am ready for next year. Should be able to load up to 2000 pounds by myself. I have lifting ring, tripod, truck and trailer. I have been growing for 8 years...lifting and transport is part of the game. First year growers...i can understand needing a bit of experience to get it done. 7 years of experience, and now 6 threads+ of "cant someone come help me lift 100-200 pounds of pumpkin" Sorry, it is ridiculous.

8/30/2019 9:02:34 PM

Appleton

Sounds great...Proud of you...My big poblem is my driving ability...guess I should just hang my Fiat keys on the hook and walk or ride my horse to the bar.....

8/31/2019 7:39:43 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

Ok, so you need to find a driver. What about your wife, or your two daughters. Any friends that drive? If friends and family wont make that sacrifice, why would other growers do it when they are trying to figure out their own weighoff transport challenges.

8/31/2019 8:22:01 AM

Appleton

My next big problem is why can I just not grow for fun and forget the weigh offs... I got 6th place at Kenosha 1n 17 because of my friends Margaret and Glen... What the heck more do want... Besides I am the only one who cares...Thanks for all you listening. And again I am very sorry for all the trouble i have caused....John

8/31/2019 8:50:53 AM

Weatherman

Fluff why don't you just grow tomato's? You could just put them in a brown paper bag and just hitch hike to the weigh-off.

8/31/2019 9:56:15 AM

Edgar, WI

Fluff if i were you I'd skip the weigh offs and find a local buisness tell them you'll give them the pumpkin for display if they could move it and weigh it on a scale maybe a grocery store or somthing it might be easier that way best of luck

8/31/2019 1:42:45 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

I think you should grow for fun John...measure the pumpkins you grow each year. Use the GPC OTT charts to estimate your weight. If they look too immense to move, chop them up in place and compost for next year. If you can get over 383 inches OTT I would drive the couple hundred of miles to Appleton to help you load it. I have asked you about your OTT before..you never answered. I have to wonder if you know what it means. Read this board...you can lean how to grow bigger. You talk about your 6th place finish in 2017. That was 6 out of 7 entries. At least you did not finish last. I think thru the years...you have not taken advantage of the greatest resource you have available...the knowledge that is on these boards. I wish you future success.

8/31/2019 4:37:45 PM

Appleton

Oak Grove: Hey thanks. You are first person to give me the answers that I needed to hear. Maybe it was just me. Anyway to start with an ans back to you: First I was never really great at Math...AS FAR as "OTT" goes I really do not get how to do the Measurement. I get the circumference and the stem to the bottom but the 1 or 2 other measurments are over my head. Also, I can read the circumference table and
the stem to bottom table..but where does the 1 or two other two measurements figure in? And I know what you are saying about my 6th place. Must have been a slow news day- eh? Also I have tried to absorb the growers knowledge...but I do not have the time to go to the field events. But I do read books on the subject. Anyway I try...I really do not want a really large KIN...I just would like a respectful product. Also, the reason I want to get to Kenosha is because it is only two weeks giving my kin a chance to live that long. The other are all in the middle of next month...Anyway, again thanks for the nice write back and see if you can point me in the direction of how to do the OTT. John

8/31/2019 8:09:30 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

John, you are catching me at a hard time in my life...I have 40,000 pounds of machinery, tool steel and miscellaneous items to move out of my old house by september 20th..or it will cost me thousands of dollars. OTT is a three way measurement. Circumference, SIde to Side and Blossom end to Stem end. For some reason at weighoffs...I have been put on the OTT measurement more than anything. I know there are websites that illustrate where the measurements are to be taken. I apologize greatly...I do not have much available time right now. Maybe someone out there knows a website that illustrates where to take the measurments? Help!

8/31/2019 8:47:52 PM

Wallingford,CT

John, I originally wrote this 19 years ago but the process hasn't changed.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=37&gid=4

8/31/2019 9:57:45 PM

Zimmerman, Minnesota

Stop posting “Appleton” god I wish I could put some emojis in here, first off you don’t ever make any sense and the main reason if your an adult you should know what responsibility is and if your not you will learn it once you get into high school.....please don’t respond.... like fluff in the wind just blow away!

8/31/2019 11:48:55 PM

Vancouver Washington

Someone recently posted a link that showed Thad Starr and Wizzy measuring a pumpkin at a GPC convention, but I am not sure if there is enough interest in this thread that they will read this either.

9/1/2019 7:46:18 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

here is one youtube video of how to measure ott. It took about a 15 second search to find it. I am sure there are more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd1S8gUC-Ew

9/1/2019 8:56:59 AM

NILES , CALIF

Mr. Hoopferner;
If you are serious about needing help;take a ride to homedepot
Lowes or your local hardware store, there are people outside

looking for work, and they can help you pick up your pumpkin
and even drive you to your weighoff
Give it a shot

9/1/2019 2:01:01 PM

Galt, CA

Lol. This whole thing is strange.....and entertaining

9/29/2019 11:19:22 AM