RE: Green versus Orange
It is true, the general populace will gather together for a pumpkin
weigh-off, not a squash weigh-off. But what about a "green-pumpkin"
weigh-off?...
It is true, I have not been around for 20 years, I have not run a
weigh-off, and I have not grown anything big at all. I used your quote,
Ray, but my hope was that my opinion would be read by event organizers
everywhere. Experience counts for a lot, I agree. I am also glad I
don't have to be good at growing pumpkins to have beneficial ideas.
Besides, I am very experienced in organizing big events, attended by
thousands.
Due to experience, I honestly think that all of the difficulties event
holders have with raising prize money for a green category are things
that can be overcome by
1. using sales techniques such as deliberate terminology while speaking
with prize donors (i.e., never say squash, always say "green pumpkin"),
or
2. by never mentioning the possibility for a donor to have choices
(i.e., ask for prize money donations without allowing the donor to
control which event the prize will be given to; advertise all the donors
at each scale location, not at the scale of their choice), and
3. giving donors incentives to donate higher amounts (i.e., donors who
give $1000 or more will have their business names printed twice as large
as the others wherever there is a donor list; donors who donate $1500 or
more will be given 4 FREE vendor slots of average size, etc.).
4. the list goes on...
There are lots more different angles you can approach it from. The
bottom line is that when you run an event, what you say--goes, as long
as you are openly consistent with your donor/vendor rules.
As I mentioned, I say this from experience; I recently sold an event
based business and arranged more than 150 events per year. If there is
anything I know how to do it is to promote an event while maintaining
full control over the event's operations. I learned how to effectively
sell the event while giving my clients very few options. If they
demanded certain things I did not want to deliver, I would work with
them in an attempt to find a mutually satisfying solution to the demand.
I had about a 3-5% disappointment rate annually among my clients.
I will contend that some people who run these events are probably doing
a better job than I ever could. Elk Grove's harvest festival/weigh-off
pulled in something like 50,000 people over the weekend last year. That
really impresses me! But with that many people in attendance, the
number of competition category classes should become trivial. Of
course, this might be why Elk Grove has prize money for green growers,
too. :-D Talking about it makes me want to try a hand at running a
weigh-off. I have other priorities right now, although I might consider
trying it in a couple years.
Please think over a three-category/three-prize event carefully. My goal
right now is not to start a new pumpkin grower's association, or to
start my own annual weigh-off. I have gone back to school and I need to
focus on that. There are plenty of good people already doing a good job
of running weigh-offs and associations. I am only trying to stimulate
thought on how the weigh-off events can encourage everybody to increase
the breeding potential our giants have.
Event organizers, please take these comments to heart as suggestions
worth pondering over, and please don't take them as critical attacks.
If I am critical I am only trying to be so in a constructive way.
"Attack" is not my intention.
Toby
mr-sprout@sbcglobal.net
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pumpkins@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf
Of Russ & Cindy
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 5:21 PM
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Subject: Re: Green versus Orange
It's interesting to read these comments regarding green vs. orange.
First,
we all know that AG's are really squash just as much as the greenies
are.
Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) use to be defined as having square stems
(Howden,
Connecticut Field etc) and squash (cucurbita maxima) with round stems
(AG's,
Big Max and Prizewinner). In my humble opinion, because it's weight
that
wins the contests, open it up to anything produced classified as being
in
the cucurbita maxima. Then have another category for the biggest and
best
cucurbita maxima that resembles a pumpkin (cucurbita pepo). For me I
don't
want to grow some monstrous looking blob, I want something that looks
like a
pumpkin. Another question to ask ones self - If you had a watermelon (
Citrullus lanatus) contest and awarded a prize to the biggest (heaviest)
would you not include watermelons that are striped, light green or dark
green in color and can be of any shape? Just some thoughts to this
greenie
vs. orange debate.
Russ - Wisconsin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Papez" <apapez@cogeco.ca>
To: <pumpkins@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: Green versus Orange
> Hard enough to get sponsor money for pumpkins. Imagine trying to get
> additional money for squash, next to impossible. The big commercial
sites
> like Port Elgin and a few others may be able to get some more money
for
> squash but smaller weigh offs such as Niagara and trying for 3 years
for
> sponsorship and finally they are coming around squash is a pretty hard
> sell.Talking from experience it would be pretty hard to approach them
for
> additional funding for squash when it took 3 years just to get them to
> commit to pumpkins. Unfortunate but we have to keep offerimg more
money to
> attract bigger pumpkins or your left out from a weigh off point of
view.
You
> can't blame the growers when faced with a equal drive either way which
one
> would you go to or if you have a real biggie why not go for additional
money
> except when its your own group puttung on the weigh off ie( Dave
Stelts,
> Bryan Dueck,and I'm sure there are several growers that are loyal to
ttheir
> group. I'm talking as a grower but also from a weigh commitee point of
view.
> When they say there is no sponsorship for squash that statement is not
> totally untrue, theres hardly any out there for pumpkins and to
decrease
the
> prize board so you can accomodate both is suicide for the weigh offs.
> Because if your site finishes poorly in the top ten average its hard
to
> approach the sponsors next year but if finish well its a good selling
> feature ie more media coverage for sponsors. Enough rambling
>
> drew
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <LGOURD@aol.com>
> To: <pumpkins@hort.net>
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 11:57 AM
> Subject: Re: Green versus Orange
>
>
> > In a message dated 9/19/2004 9:54:25 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> > Lubadub@aol.com writes:
> > Squash just don't cut it. Ray Waterman knows this. His event is
> > called a Pumpkin Weighoff. I doubt you will ever see the word
squash up
> in
> > lights
> > at Ray's. Say what you will about Ray. He is a purist and, I think,
proud
> of
> > it. For years he has been out there pushing pumpkins, not squash.
Ray's
> > favorite color is for sure orange.
> > I guess some of you newbies who have been in this for less than 20
years
> > don't know that I petitioned Guinness Book of Records back in 1984
to
> include a
> > "Squash" class. They had only a pumpkin class that included both
orange
> and
> > green fruit. So to say some of the things that have been said are
way
off
> base.
> > I have done a lot for squash growers also. Why don't you go after
the
> real
> > challenge and grow some big ones instead of replying in this nature?
I
> meant
> > little by saying, "what is colour anyways". Notice I used the
Canadian
> > spelling for Wayne. Get real and get growing! Ray
> >
> >
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