Workshop at Tustin Memorial Academy:

A Fresh Crop of Giant Pumpkin Growers

Good morning, Pumpkinistas!

Giant pumpkin growing was introduced to eager and curious 130 3rd and 4th grade students and some of their parents and teachers yesterday afternoon at Tustin Memorial Academy. In a slightly abbreviated session, the attentive new giant pumpkin growers posed several excellent questions and then graciously received their giant pumpkin seeds. They were directed to share any spare seedlings they germinate with friends, relatives, and neighbors and would be rewarded by achieving Menehune status because of their generosity and good deeds.

The students plan to raise pumpkins in their school garden pictured above, to provide funding for a gift from the graduating 5th grade class to the school, in the fall. As the fall approaches and their pumpkin fund-raiser gets closer, please check the school's website at: http://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/tma/

Best of luck this season to the latest crop of giant pumpkin growers!

Todd Slinde, Kellogg Garden Products

Future giant pumpkin growing site at Westurf Nursery

Northern California Tour, Part II

Good afternoon, Pumpkinistas!

The tour returned to Northern California this past week-end, with workshops presented at Scenic and Westurf Nurseries in Modesto, and Sierra Nursery in Roseville, CA. The weather was perfect, in the mid-high 70s, and clear. Attendees were enthusiastic, and I even had the pleasure making the acquaintance of the sister, Cathy O'Brien of a fraternity brother, Marty Malysz who was in Theta Xi at the same time with me at UCLA! Very small world...

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be presenting the workshop to 120 4th graders in Tustin, and this week-end, I'll be in the Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA area.

Have a great week!

Legendary California Giant Pumpkin Growers and

Distinguished Panelists and They're Handsome Too!

(Left to Right) Gary Miller, Leonardo Urena, Jose' Ceja, Pete Glasier

First Week-end of the 2010 World Tour Goes to Northern California!

Good morning, Pumpkinistas!

The tour kicked-off the garden center/nursery world tour with a whirlwind schedule in Northern California. Saturday, April 17th consisted of two workshops at Yamagami's Nursery in Cupertino. Sunday, April 18th, saw the tour stopping at Van Winden's Garden Center in Napa, where I was joined by the legendary giant pumpkin growers and special guest panelists, Gary Miller, Leonardo Urena, Jose' Ceja, and Hall of Fame Grower and California State Champion, Pete Glasier. Of course, they were all very gracious and generous with their advice, and handed out some of their own special seeds and seedlings to the extremely fortunate workshop attendees. In the afternoon, the tour finished up at Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery, in Sebastopol, where a very engaged and sun-burnt group of dedicated giant pumpkin growers and soon-to-be giant pumpkin growers enjoyed the workshop.

Next week-end, back to Northern California to Modesto!

A Field of Dreams

Good afternoon, Pumpkinistas!

I have an update from Jim Fredricks in San Diego that I received earlier this month. Jim and his friend Vince are ready, and have thrown down the gauntlet to the Orange County and Los Angeles County growers!

"Hi Stuart,

Just wanted to give you a few prep pictures of the 2010 season! Me and my friend Vince are ready to go, will start in a couple weeks. Our hope is to come up this year for the weigh-off granted we have pumpkins to bring! LOL. OK, let the rumors begin! We wanted to send a fun message to everyone up north in LA, San Diego growers are coming up to bring some competition for you! We have a a couple new secret weapons we will be trying this year! Two, actually. I will keep the secret for now, but there are small whispers in the pumpkin community around the globe about a new product that helps pack on the pounds for us pumpkin growers. Yes, we will be trying this out and see what kind of freakish monsters we can grow. I will reveal the secret at the end of the season and we will see if it has good results. Let the 2010 season begin:)

Pictures show cover crop of rye, peas, vetch and clover in the patch. Tilled in just recently.

Jim"

They look serious!