A) Number of years growing : 22 years (623 pound was first entry at Topsfield Fair in 1996).
B) Number of awards won during career:
- 28 awards including AG Pumpkins, Tomato’s and Bushel Gourds
- 1st Place (1009 lbs) at Topsfield in 2000
- 1st Place (1944 lbs) at Rochester Fair in 2016
- 1st Place (1674 lbs) at Topsfield in 2010
- 1st Place (2075 lbs) at Topsfield in 2016
- 1st Place at (1624 lbs) Durham Fair in 2017
- 1st Place (245 lbs) Bushel Gourd at Frerichs Farm 2017
- 1st Place (1214 lbs) at The Big E 2004 and 2nd place twice
- 1st Place at NHGPGA Weigh-off 2010, and 2011
- 1st Place (623 lbs) at Easton, MA Weigh-off 2004
- GVGO Out of Province Champ 2010
- 2nd place at Frerichs Farm twice.
- Numerous 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place finishes at Frerichs Farm
- 2nd place Giant Pumpkin at Marshfield Fair
- GPC 1600 pound club.
- GPC 5400 pound club 2016 (2nd plc GOTY)
- Grew 1st 1000 pounder in New England in 2000 (Regional award)
- 17 ribbons for lower entries at various Fairs
- Currently have the Largest Pumpkin grown in Massachusetts at 2075 pounds.
C) Club/GPC participation (must have taken a leadership role for 5 years or more at a club, GPC site coordinator, Executive committee member) I am an active Board member of SNGPG for 14 years.
D) Generosity of time and seeds and knowledge (must have given freely of his/her time to the betterment of this hob- by including public speaking, seed donations and volunteering at any level, organizing club events)
- Spoke at Norfolk County Agricultural High School to 100 students in 2008
- Spoke to 300 students at Easton Elementary School Students about Giant Pumpkins 2010
- Volunteered Booth time and talked about Giant Pumpkins to about 1000 people at the BIG E Fair in New England in 2009.
- Helped organize 12 years of Club Weigh-offs and Seminars.
- Helped co author several published books including Back Yard Giants, and Garden of Marvels.
- Volunteered countless hours writing the SNGPG Newsletter for the last 12 years, including 70 articles about Gi- ant Pumpkins, Giant Squash, Giant Tomato’s Growing Techniques, and/or The History of our hobby. Interviewed and published articles from the following people:
- Howard Dill, Bob Ford, Robert and Ed Gancarz, Ron Wallace, Beni Meier, Fabrice Boudyo, Mathias Willemijns, Gene McMullen, Dick Wallace, Eddy Zaychkowsky, Joel Holland, Don Young, Dale Marshall, Ken Desrosiers, Lorelee Zywiec, Matt De- Bacco, Don Black, Scott Holub, Dave Stelts, Joe Jutras, Pete Glasier, Hiram Watson,,Ian+Stuart Paton, Woody Lan- caster, Tim Mathison, Gary Miller, Bill Northrup, Steve Geddes, Carl Graham, Jim Bryson, Chris Stevens, Steve Sperry, Charlie Lieber, Steve Jepson, plus volunteered articles for many other clubs including:
- MGPG (Michigan) OVGPG, NEGPGA, PGVG, NHGPGA, Illinois, GPGA a Wisconsin Newsletter and several others.
- Spoke at 3 Winter NEGPGA Seminars 2001, 2010, 2016
- Spoke at 1 NHGPGA Winter Seminar 2009, 1 VGVGA (Vermont) Seminar in 2016, 1 Pennsylvania PGPG Seminar in 2016.
- Spoke at 3 SNGPG Spring Growers Seminars
- Spoke at 3 Winter Niagara Falls GPC Seminars and 2 Heavy Hitters panels at this Canada seminar.
- Donated Countless seeds to Club Auctions Seed Promos and Growers worldwide.
- Created New Bushel Gourd Weight Estimation Chart for GPC.
- Spoke about Giant Pumpkins on Good Morning America and the Today Show and 6 local TV news shows.
- Spoke about Giant Pumpkins and the GPC, on national NPR Radio, and radio shows from Alaska to the UK to Canada to North Carolina, and all over New England.
- Worked with Botonist’s at the New York Botanical Gardens (Bronx NY) and published several articles about the origins of the Cucurbita Maxima species and isolation of a new species by Howard Dill called Atlantic Giants.
- Wrote articles and or interviewed about Giant Pumpkin for National Geographic, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Patriot Ledger, Providence Journal, Martha Stewart Magazine, Yankee Magazine, People Places and Plants Maga- zine, Smithsonian Magazine, Organic Gardening Magazine.
- Appeared on Martha Stewart (once) and David Letterman (twice) promoting Giant Pumpkins and our sport.
- Filmed and co-Produced (with Ron Wallace) numerous Videos about Giant Pumpkins, including the following:
- How I Grew the 1502
- Growing Pumpkins SNGPG Style
- Growing the 2009 and 1872.