Site Fees And Prize Structure
   Official Rules
    Artical I
    Artical II
    Artical III
    Artical IV
   Pay your Site Fee Online
   GPC Officers
   History
   
The GPC represents the standard of fair and equal competition for all participating growers and sites without prejudice. Herein are the rules and regulations for competition at GPC sanctioned sites.

Article I Weigh-off Sites and Club/Group
  1. A GPC weigh-off site is separate and distinct from a giant pumpkin Club/group in the following respects.
  2. The weigh-off site is the actual location where a GPC sanctioned weighoff occurs.
  3. The weigh-off site must have an available representative who the GPC Executive Committee may contact. This person shall act as an official GPC representative.
  4. The GPC sanctioned charter to hold an official GPC weigh-off cannot be moved from an official GPC site unless the site representative and the Executive Committee give approval.
  5. The GPC site is responsible for the annual GPC charter fee. A club/group may provide the site fee but it is ultimately the responsibility of the site.
    1. For the northern hemisphere, new site fees along with proper paperwork are due by the first day of June the same calendar year the weigh-off is to be held. For the southern hemisphere, the deadline is January 1st.
    2. For the northern hemisphere, fees for existing sites along with any site updates are due by the First day of July the same calendar year the weigh-off is to be held. For the southern hemisphere, the deadline is February first.
    3. All site fees received after their deadlines will be subject to a $100 late fee.
    4. The Executive Committee reserves the right to deny acceptance of weights for GPC prize money and recognition if the time lines are not met.
    5. All prizes will be awarded based on the calendar year.
  6. The GPC requires each of its sanctioned weigh-off sites be open to all growers who wish to participate. Each site may have their own registration fee as long as these fees are equal for all growers wishing to enter. Each site may have their prize payout structure as they choose as long as the main prizes are available to all growers entered in their weigh-off. The main prize structure shall be defined as the majority of the money and prizes available for all competing growers. Sites may, at their own discretion, offer additional regional bonuses not to exceed the value of the main prize structure.
    1. The GPC rules will be strictly enforced for weights, fruit soundness, certification of scales, and color as stated herein.
    2. Each site will be responsible for providing no less than 3 and no more than 5 judges.
    3. Judges for a weigh-off will consist of any combination of the following: club/grower representative, site coordinator, site representative, and two experienced growers.
    4. All judges' decisions are final. All judges will be responsible to have a complete knowledge of all rules and how to implement them fairly. It will be necessary to have a current copy of the rules present at each site in public view so anyone may reference them.
    5. If any Judge has his/her entry in question or cannot be present the day of the weigh-off, they will be excused from the Judges panel and another will be appointed in their place from the above mentioned guidelines.
    7. Pumpkin clubs/groups are to aid and assist the site in running a GPC sanctioned weigh-off upholding the integrity of the GPC and the weigh-off site. Club/group representative and site coordinator are to be in charge of the gathering of registration, money, weights, measurements, and other information deemed necessary by the Executive Committee and the weighoff site. The site coordinator is primarily responsible to assist any new weigh-off site with proper application paper work for GPC approval and to ensure that fees are paid before deadlines. Existing sites are to be contacted periodically to ensure fees are submitted in the proper time frame and the site is comfortable with the weigh-off arrangement. The club/group representative will be the direct link between the Executive Committee and the growers. All communications from the growers to the Executive Committee and from Executive Committee to the growers will be channeled through this person. Site coordinators, club/group representatives, and site representatives are to work as a team to ensure each site is as accommodating to the growers, site, and GPC as possible upholding the values of fair competition.
    1. All growers must comply with the rules and regulations set forth at a GPC weigh-off site they wish to participate in. Any additional rules the GPC site wishes to have must be fair and impartial for all growers wishing to participate.
    2. The above mentioned representatives will also assume responsibility of ensuring the integrity of the fruits and that scales have been calibrated by a recognized weights and measurement business or government agency prior to the weigh-off.
Article II Fruits and Growers  Top^
  1. The entry must be grown & cared for from planting to harvest, and exhibited by the grower or grower team. In the case of an emergency where the grower cannot be present to exhibit the entry, the site coordinator, club/grower representative, and site representative will make a determination regarding the validity of the excuse for a grower's absence. Only the heaviest entry, one per class (pumpkin-squash) from one fixed address/household will be eligible for GPC prize money.
    1. A fixed address/household will be defined as any two people or more that grow compatibly at a single address or household i.e.: husband/wife, father/son, two friends or more, etc.
    2. A team of growers may consist of any two or more growers who meet the above definition. Non-monetary awards will be given to a maximum of two persons, to be selected from the team if the team consists of more than two growers.
    3. The growers must still adhere to Article I, Section 11, paragraph A and Article II, Section 1 for multiple residence entries to be deemed official. This rule must be enforced by the representatives and growers of each GPC weighoff site.
  2. The GPC will recognize two entries per fixed address/household for top ten average only.
  3. A specimen must be entered and weighed at one of the sanctioned weighoff sites. This must happen on the recognized weigh-off date for that site to be eligible for GPC prize money and recognition.
  4. All specimens that will be submitted to the GPC for prize money and recognition must be weighed on a certified scale with only the fruit on the scale. Any fruit weighed with a tarp, pallet, or any other lifting device will be classified unofficial weight or UOW.
  5. A certified scale is one that has been inspected and certified by a Federal Governmental Agency and must have a current certification sticker attached to the scale. Scales that have been certified by a local government agency for commercial purposes are also acceptable scales.
  6. No foreign material (i.e.: fungicides, caulking, skin additives etcetera) will be permitted in the weighing of any fruit. Vines must be trimmed to within one inch of the stem of the fruit. The judges have the right to inspect any and all fruit before weights and measurements become official. Refusal of any inspection to an entry will cause the entry to be classified exhibition only.
  7. The specimen must be sound, healthy, and undamaged. Entries must be free of rot, holes or cracks through to the cavity, and serious soft spots.
    1. The Judges reserve the right to probe cracks, holes, and to dig out soft spots to judge a fruit official or not. Before the Judges can execute any of the previous they must have the grower present.
    2. A serious soft spot is one that is greater than 3 inches in diameter, and greater than 3 inches deep. The dimensions of the soft spot will be measured after all soft material has been removed with a spoon.
    3. If there are more than two soft spots that require material to be removed and measured, the pumpkin will be disqualified even if each is smaller than the definition of 'a serious soft spot'.
  8. No specimen will be allowed into competition at a GPC site if that specimen has been previously entered at another competition.
Article III Color Requirements and Prize Money  Top^
  1. Heaviest official fruit wins- all pumpkins and squash will be weighed in one category with the heaviest fruit winning.
    1. Squash will be classified as follows- 100% of the following colors or color combinations green, blue, and gray. The surface area of the fruit as grown in the garden, not including the portion that was in contact with, or close proximity to the ground will be considered. This area will include the area between the ribs, around the stem, and the blossom end. This will not include any netting (cantaloping), any discoloration caused by the close proximity to the ground, or minimal amounts of white striping or mottling associated with some squash.
    2. Pumpkins will be all fruit not classified as squash.
    3. To be eligible for additional recognition for solid color pumpkins the fruit must be, 100% of the following colors or color combinations orange, red, yellow, and salmon. The surface area will be judged by the same rule as stated in paragraph A.
    4. The Executive Committee will take a stance on rewarding the solid color 100% for pumpkins and squash as defined above in order to reward the growers who preserve solid colors of fruit.
  2. All specimens submitted to the Executive Committee for solid color prize money must have pictures (preferably digital camera) taken from all four sides and the top. These pictures must be of good quality without white flash spots or sun wash out obscuring the specimen. All pictures and information regarding each specimen must be e-mailed or mailed to all Executive Committee members by no later than October 31st of the year the fruit was weighed. The Executive Committee's decision is final.
  3. n the event of a tie of two or more places all entries that are tied will have the prize money for the places that are tied added together then split equally amongst the places that are involved.
Article IV Weigh-off Dates and Mileage Requirements  Top^
  1. The GPC will recognize a weigh-off period instead of a fixed Weigh-off date. The weigh-off period will start on February 1st and extend to the 25th of October.
  2. There shall be no minimum mileage distance recognized between GPC sanctioned weigh-off sites. The Executive Committee will decide as to where and when GPC sanctioned weigh-off sites will be allowed regardless of distance between sites and calendar dates.
  3. All date changes, relative to the calendar year, must be submitted to the GPC steering committee at least 7 months prior to the weighoff. For example, if your weighoff is traditionally held the 1st Saturday in October, a move to a different day would require approval.
  4. All rain dates must be submitted for approval by the Executive Committee no later than 3 months before the weigh-off is to be held. All sites must make every concession for fair and inclement weather. Rain dates will only be used in the case of an emergency, after the Executive Committee gives approval to move the weigh-off date to the rain date.
  5. The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth and its officially sanctioned sites shall not be held liable for compensation, loss, damage, or injury to any person, exhibit, or personal property.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Every provision of these amendments to the GPC Rules shall take effect Feburary 17, 2008. The provisions of the GPC Rules shall be enforced throughout the family of GPC sanctioned sites.