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On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Did you know that the First World Pumpkin Weigh-Off was held in 1983. At the time the World Pumpkin Federation, started by Ray Waterman, had three weigh-off sites including The Pumpkin Show, Circleville, Ohio, Half Moon Bay, California and the Atlantic Winter Fair held in Nova Scotia, Canada.In 1982 Howard Dill was the winner with a new world record of 493.5 pounds.Prior to that there was competition as far back as 1974 between growers at the California and Circleville sites. Howard Dill drove all the way from Nova Scotia, Canada to Circleville, Ohio to win the championship. Shortly after that a weigh-off site was established at Nova Scotia, Canada,the Atlantic Winter Fair and Dill's pumpkins were called Atlantic Giants. Ray Waterman worked with Dill to help him patent the seed. The rest is history.

4/17/2020 11:45:10 AM

Colorado

Good stuff. Anybody got more of this eras history. Igpa? Years the Dills had PVP ?rights to AG seeds?. Falling out craven/black pumpkin.GPC founders?

4/17/2020 4:12:56 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I believe it was shortly after Howard took the Circleville honors that the 21-mile radius rule went into effect. Someone chime in if I'm not correct.

4/17/2020 5:51:38 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

As I recall the falling out came when one grower went to Collins, New York to the weigh-off there with a pumpkin that would have been the winner. But, they would not weigh it because the grower didn't belong to the World Pumpkin Federation. Correct me if I am wrong. At the time it cost $10 to be a member of the WPC and the grower had not paid it. Believe it or not around that time I applied to the WPC to have a weigh-off site in Pennsylvania and was rejected for reasons still unknown to me. Shortly after that the GPC was founded and Hugh Wiberg let us have our weigh-off site and the PGPGA began. That was long ago.

4/17/2020 6:03:44 PM

Western NY

https://www.outsideonline.com/1834446/pumpkin-v-pumpkin

4/17/2020 7:44:33 PM

Western NY

Great read Andy! Nice to see Don Black mentioned.

4/17/2020 8:45:56 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Thank you Andy. That was just great.

4/17/2020 10:17:20 PM

Mulino, Oregon

Thanks for sharing that Andy!

4/18/2020 8:57:47 AM

Massillon, Ohio

Thanks Andy. Such an enjoyable article! I clearly remember when I started growing, that Craig Lembke spent a long time on the phone with me explaining my soil test and how to amend the patch. Long-time growers remember his Agro-K program - my introduction to foliar feeding. Then at an OVGPG weighoff, Don Black put a coveted 1161 Rodonis seed in my hand. He didn't know me, but had heard I was crazy to grow this seed! Pumpkin growers.....great people! I'm happy to be part of this community. It was nice to read this story of our history.

4/18/2020 11:19:49 AM

Colorado

Andy,I remember reading that article when it came out, Outside was a well written magazine. A little over the top but not quite fake newsish.Craig L. did a grow presentation I saw in portland 2008?. Nice Guy!

4/18/2020 11:40:50 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

At the PGPGA weigh-off one of the really exciting moments was when Tony Ciliberto would pull into the lot with his covered van. All eyes were on it when he opened the doors to reveal what he had brought. There would always be a huge pumpkin wrapped in saran wrap inside. Very exciting. He was the one to beat and the rest of us, at that time, were not even close.

4/18/2020 11:43:05 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Nice contribution Andy.

4/18/2020 5:17:27 PM