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Oak Grove, Mn

Many months ago, I was in contact with Eddy...wanting to have a tomato only event on the first weekend of September. He got me in touch with Wizzy..and I talked with him on the phone. Wizzy told me that it was still in discussion with the GPC committee whether they would approve a tomato weighoff only event. I have found an individual that is willing to contact growers to acquire seeds for auction for this tomato only event. A week ago, I emailed the president of the GPC and asked if the GPC has decided anything. No reply at all. It doesn't matter....there may be no big tomato prize fund weigh off next year...but I have 10,000's of dollars invested. Eventually it will happen. I am done with pumpkin weighoffs...i pulled many dollars for tomato for prize fund for a pumpkin weighoff but had to fight to keep it going to tomatoes instead of pumpkins. I am frustrated...give it a few years...tomatoes will get their day.

10/20/2018 6:02:18 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Great PUMPKIN Commonwealth.

10/21/2018 9:34:19 PM

Grittyville, WA

This ended up being the year of the bushel gourd although there was a new world tomato record it went to the same grower... But how about starting a tomato growing club? Then raise funds as a group and decide how to spend them as a group? Maybe its a terrible idea but without a major sponsorship folks from elsewhere just wont be able to travel to the tomato-only competition so then it would end up being a small local competition...

10/22/2018 2:21:04 AM

Grittyville, WA

I think there are still some ways to make it work but I think you will have to think in terms of who has deep pockets... Not the gpc!
I cant travel out of my area to a national event and only earn 500 bucks it would not cover my expenses but if it had tv coverage and sponsorship by Campbells Soup and 2k to 10k prize structure yeah everyone would take it seriously including the gpc. Think big. Think money.

10/22/2018 2:30:45 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

Brandon, that is why I am thinking it will take a few years. Will need to build a larger base of giant tomato growers before major sponsors will become willing to finance larger weigh offs. Pumpkins have image impact...tomatoes should be able to have number of growers impact. Now that I am looking at my project after the summer grow..I am thinking that I am going to be slower in proceeding than what I had hoped. Not enough time available per week to move at the a pace I would like. I intend on continuing the progress..a little bit everyday. Now to find the homes for 20,000 seeds....

10/22/2018 5:57:51 AM

President - GPC

Bob,

Bob, I did email it to the committee to make our plate of discussion we would be discussing this at our next meeting coming this Sunday the 28th, looks like you were not cc'd on it, sorry. If you havent noticed, we have been a bit busy, 100+ weigh offs, plus I was in New York for the NYBG event for 6 days. You could of contacted me again via phone, or email. I get kinda busy during this time of year.

10/23/2018 11:39:22 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I will try to call you to tonight, Gary, after i get off from work. How we proceed this winter depends somewhat in what the GPC decides. You are correct Glenomkins that the initial year for the weighoff would be mainly be local growers. In minnesota we already have a good base of growers that have weighed tomatoes over 5 pounds in the past. Will be looking to increase this base of local growers by the release of 1000 tomato seedlings this spring. Should the tomato growers decide to further dillute the auction seed pool..the money raised would be used for gpc fees and site acquisition. The prize money will be coming from altenative sources.

10/23/2018 12:55:35 PM

Central NY

oh please not by email...lol

10/23/2018 1:17:00 PM

President - GPC

We will talk again tonight Bob, thanks for returning my call.

10/23/2018 1:20:07 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

There is a great difference between the appeal a huge pumpkin and a huge tomato have to the public. A large pumpkin is eye catching while a large tomato is ugly to most viewers. A big tomato just does not generate the excitement of the public that a big pumpkin does. 10 pounds versus 2000 pounds. And there is always the problem that tomatoes across the country do not all get ripe at the same time. I think the tomatoes are better off just staying with the GPC while at the same time trying to get a bit more recognition in the GPC. How have the giant watermelon people fared? They were talking about a separate organization or some such thing a while back. How did that end? Maybe a tomato grower and a watermelon grower should have places on the GPC Board? Maybe that would help?

10/23/2018 8:40:56 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

The difference in appeal is 2000 pumpkin growers vs 2,000,000 giant tomato growers. Thanks for the good conversation tonight Wizzy, I still think that the GPC needs to consider the impact of a potential 150,000 tomato growers in the next few years. The discussion I had tonight...also involved the GPC convention. I am intending on going to Green Bay. I hope to see many other tomato growers. It was very interesting to discuss potential changes to the rules for early tomatoes. I certainly agree with the shortcomings of the current system. We will see if the tomatoes stay with the GPC....the next 5 years, if my plan is successful will see a huge increase in tomato growing. 9.44 pounds with 1000 growers will equal ? with 1,000,000 growers.

10/23/2018 9:04:58 PM

Netherlands

Bob, I'm just wondering how you got to your estimate that there are 2 million giant tomato growers? Later you mention there are 150,000 potential growers and then you state there are 1000 current growers and then you mention 1 million potential growers.

In actual fact considerably less than 200 growers entered fruit into a GPC event this year. There were 191 unique names, but some growers used up to four names to enter their fruit, so I think you won't get much higher than 175 growers. There are growers that don't enter GPC events, but I don't think that makes one or two million. Maybe a few hundred.

I'd say that in Europe there are at most a few dozen giant tomato growers.

There has been no significant increase in the number of tomato growers entering fruit over the past four to five years. 2018 saw a slight decrease.

I'm certainly not trying to curb your enthusiasm, but at the moment I'd say there are considerably less than 500 giant tomato growers in the world and having a tomato only weigh-off somewhere in the US will not stimulate any new growers anywhere else in the world or in parts of the US too far away from the weigh-off site. Tomatoes cannot be kept good for long and growing for a certain day is pretty much impossible, which is why almost none of the really big tomatoes are ever weighed at a weigh-off.

Realistically speaking, your potential number of giant tomato growers is probably in the 500-1000 range, considerably less than the number of pumpkin growers.

10/24/2018 4:44:19 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I am basing my number on when I brought plants into my workplace of 50 employees. 25 plants of giant genetics disappeared quickly. My number of 2,000,000 is of potential growers. My theory, is if the genetics are available easily for the gardeners of the world..that the numbers will increase quickly. Yes there are less giant tomato growers that also grow pumpkins than just pumpkin growers right now. But there are millions more people that grow tomatoes that don't grow pumpkins. Latest statistics I have read that 86% of hobby gardeners grow tomatoes. Estimated number of households in the USA that have a garden is 37 million. That is 31 million tomato growers in the USA right now. I cant believe that only one in 31,000 households would attempt giant tomatoes if the genetics and knowledge are easily available.

10/24/2018 5:40:59 AM

Netherlands

We did an experiment with tall corn at the University of Utrecht. We handed out 200 corn plants amongst interested students and staff. About 150 plants made it into the garden we had made on campus. At the weigh-off in September 0 of the 200 growers showed up. In a follow up, 0 of the growers planted tall corn again. Millions of people plant corn each year, almost nobody grows corn for competition even if given the seeds.

Regular tomatoes are quite easy to grow. Giant tomatoes are extremely difficult. I have handed out seeds at the allotment where I have grown for years. Till now, nobody has ever entered a giant tomato into a competition. Nobody wants to put the energy, time and money into growing them. I am still the only giant tomato grower in our country with 17 million inhabitants.

The seeds of Atlantic Giant pumpkins and knowledge has been available since the 1980s, when I started growing. Yet we don't see millions of competitors. Competion growing has always been a very small happening and has gotten an awful lot smaller since the 19th century.

10/24/2018 8:11:39 AM

central Nc

My $.02:

I don't think the two things need to be related (# of growers and a GPC tomato weigh off) but I do think there is a correlation...later on that. I remember reading of a popular Canadian tomato weigh off in Marv's book. There are also literally dozens of tomato festivals around the world. What's that one in PA...Pittston? They already have competitions and it is a multi-day festival. I think the groundwork has already been laid Bob, if you are willing to look outside MN. You know they would love to get the extra publicity of the GPC.

10/24/2018 9:27:45 AM

central Nc

As for the correlation, I agree with Bob. Bring the GPC to Pittston for example, offer some good money, and growers will come. Sad to say, but most people's response to growing giants of any kind is "it's too much work". Throw some $ in the pot and that tends to change minds.

10/24/2018 9:30:28 AM

On a cliff in the desert

My 2 cents worth:

When the giant corn was given out, was written directions on how to grow it and where to take it when to provided?

When Bob sells his 10,000 plants, there should be something on the packaging of his plants directing the new growers to gianttomatoes.com for growing tips and where to go for competition if the grower desires to go down that path. People need to be told what they can do when they buy something new instead of having them figure it out on their own.

10/24/2018 10:53:55 AM

East Tennessee

The Grainger County Tomato Festival in East Tennessee is a pretty big mater festival.

10/24/2018 10:57:18 AM

Grittyville, WA

Good comments. Good idea wile c.
I think there is such a big difference between Dan Sutherland and the average american gardener but money and teamwork could change that. . . I love the idea of increasing the popularity of competitive gardening but

10/24/2018 12:10:05 PM

Grittyville, WA

It will require the third thing americans love besides tomatoes and competition... Money! Put $100,000 up for first place and get a documentary on netflix and overnight you will have 100,000 people who want to test their luck and skill. But without money beyond what fits in your wallet, and reality-tv type media coverage, you wont have an excited audience.

10/24/2018 12:22:07 PM

Netherlands

Yes, we coached the corn growers along the way. We even set up a community hub/hut at the garden which included info exchange.

Most people who buy giant seeds or giant plants hope they will get big by themselves. It's usually game over when that doesn't happen. Not trying to be negative, but realistic.

Perhaps money will help, but most growers grow either for the kick of it or bragging rights. Our weigh-off paid out $75 for first place pumpkin for years. Three years ago we went to $2500. The number of growers didn't change. Neither did the weights.

10/24/2018 12:24:27 PM

Grittyville, WA

well I will try to keep an open mind about it... for now thats my two cents i could be wrong. things can randomly go viral also im not really an expert on american culture.

10/24/2018 12:31:45 PM

Grittyville, WA

75 or 2500 will cover you for a day or a month but either way its not exactly life changing. So people will respond similarly to either amount... Good observation dutch brad.

10/24/2018 12:38:39 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

Greg, I need to get something up on the website before I tell the growers to go there. Tomorrow will be going to a wordpress meeting..hoping to meet some contacts that can help me get over the first hurdles.

My experience with my workplace was different than your corn growers Brad. i know at least 4 of them put their biggest on a scale. None took one to a weighoff but all were happy to have grown something bigger than they had grown before. Only one from the group submitted it to the GPC with an early entry form. They are already taking to me about next year.

Giant tomatoes are not so difficult. I have very good soil but nearly all of my seed plants grew at least a 2 1/2 pound with the biggest over 4 pounds. This is on plants that were not pruned, had multiple sets on them and for the most part were not watered. I would think most gardeners in this area could grow 2 pound + tomatoes with not a lot of special care. World record probably not but could get something that could keep them interested for the next season. Growing the base of giant tomato growers is not going to happen overnight, but I think the interest will be there.

10/24/2018 12:53:49 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

Good comments on some of the other tomato events in the country. I think that there could be a few places that might be interested in GPC oversight for a weighoff. I am thinking that having GPC status will help as I approach potential sponsors. It adds some legitimacy to the venture. Will see what the committee decides on Sunday.

10/24/2018 12:59:03 PM

central Nc

Off topic, but am I the only one that immediately converts prize money to soil amendments? When I got $30 for a LG I immediately thought--that's 3 bags of gypsum!!

10/24/2018 2:46:35 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

$30 ...soil test. Prize money that I have won usually has disappeared by the second week of seed auctions. I know that the giant growers spend more than the average gardener but even the average amount is immense.

According to this article, the average household spends $503 per year on lawn and garden supplies.

https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/04/18/1480986/0/en/Gardening-Reaches-an-All-Time-High.html

I found it interesting on what this article says about the younger growers. The future looks good.

10/24/2018 8:42:38 PM