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GVGO CONTESTS & ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

A number of contests and achievement recognitions are available to GVGO members. In order to be eligible to participate, memberships must be in good standing by May of the competition year (e.g. to participate in 2027 contests, memberships must be renewed/in place by May 15, 2027). You can email gvgogrowers@gmail.com with any questions about eligibility. A PDF copy of information about our contests and achievement awards is available by Clicking Here

General Rules & Definitions (all contests)

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  • All paid members and Hall of Fame members are eligible to participate in all GVGO contests and collect achievement awards subject to compliance with the
    specific rules for each contest.

  • Participation in all contests is free of charge to all paid members.

  • Annual memberships must be paid in full by May 15 each year for eligibility to participate in all club contests.

  • Class 1 vegetables are defined as the 8 categories included in the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth prize structure. The 8 class 1 vegetables are: Giant
    Pumpkin, Squash, Tomato, Watermelon, Marrow, Long Gourd, Field Pumpkin and Bushel Gourd

  • Class 2 vegetables are Tall Corn, Tall Sunflower, Sunflower Face and Cabbage.

  • Class 3 vegetables are not listed above but entered at a public contest for competition.

  • When additional prize money is offered for world record entries or contest winning entries, the GVGO expects to receive a limited number of seed
    donations from the winning entries for fundraising. It is recognized that seed counts can vary significantly depending on the specimen. Growers are
    encouraged to donate seeds when reasonably available, but low or limited seed counts will be taken into consideration. These seed donations help keep the
    contest prize structures affordable and allow the club to raise additional funds to help offset the prize payouts.

  • All prizes are payable in CDN funds. If any grower wants to receive a plaque instead of the prize money, please inform the committee before the prizes are
    paid.

The Mike Demars Memorial Tomato Growing Contest

  • Members must register with the contest organizer before the entry deadline. This will be communicated to all paid members in advance of the deadline via email each spring before the growing season begins.

  • The contest organizer will make teams consisting of 3 growers based on previous tomato growing results. Every effort will be made to assemble the teams as even as possible.

  • Each grower may enter two tomatoes for a maximum of 6 tomatoes per team.

  • All tomato entries must be communicated to the contest organizer prior to the announced deadline date. Photos must be attached showing all sides of the tomato for judging and on electronic digital scales clearly showing the weight.

  • Any tomato entry over 7.5lbs must be weighed on a certified 3rd party scale at a local business with photos clearly showing the weight.

  • Tomatoes weighed at a GPC sanctioned weigh off site are eligible as the results are verifiable however the grower must still inform the contest organizer of the entries.

  • The growing team that weighs the heaviest combined weight of eligible tomatoes will win prize money of $50 per grower. If a grower on the winning team does not enter any tomatoes, they will not be eligible to receive prize money. The funds will be split between the other team members that entered the tomatoes.

  • The grower who enters the heaviest tomato in the contest will receive an additional $150

  • If a new officially recognized world record tomato is registered in the contest, the grower will receive an additional $350

  • All contest prize money will be paid out to the winning team members after the results are announced by the contest organizer. In the event of a new world record entry, the additional prize money would be paid out as soon as possible after official verification by Guinness and/or the GPC.

  • The contest organizer has the final say in determining eligible tomato entries

Personal Best Contest

  • A personal best is defined as a grower result surpassing a previously entered personal best weight or measurement. First time attempts in growing in any category are not eligible

  • All entries must be weighed or measured at a GPC sanctioned event except tomato. If a tomato was not weighed at a GPC sanctioned event or by using the GPC early tomato entry rules, entry into the GVGO Mike DeMars Memorial tomato contest is required to allow proper judging as stated in that contest rules.

  • It is the responsibility of the grower to communicate to a GVGO committee member if they have achieved a new personal best in any eligible categories. Failure to do so will result in your personal best not being included in the contest.

  • All class 1 and 2 vegetables are eligible for entry.

  • The top personal best entry in each category will receive $50. If no new personal best entries are received in a category, that prize money can be awarded to a 2nd place personal best in a different category as  determined by the GVGO committee.

Featured Vegetable Contest

​2026 Featured Vegetable: Giant Squash

2027 Featured Vegetable: TBA

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  • The featured vegetable will be posted on the GVGO website prior to the start of
    the growing season.

  • The selected featured vegetable can be any of the class 1 or 2 vegetables.

  • Prize payouts are 1st Place - $100, 2nd Place - $75 and 3rd Place - $50​​

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Grower of the Year Contest

  • All entries must be made at a GPC sanctioned weigh off event and/or comply with the rules stated in the current GPC rules handbook.

  • The grower of the year is calculated by the GVGO committee member responsible for statistics and awards utilizing the GPC gardener of the year calculation for class 1 vegetables plus adding a category for class 2 vegetables.

  • The GVGO Grower of the Year will receive $150

Master Grower Award

  • All entries must be made at a GPC sanctioned weigh off and/or comply with the current GPC rules handbook.

  • Members who achieve the minimum levels in at least 3 different class 1 or 2 categories will receive a GVGO Master Grower jacket or cash equivalent prize of $225

  • Growers who have achieved minimum levels in 2024 or ealier can use the 2024 levels towards achieving their award provided they were paid GVGO members at that time. All results grown in 2025 or later must comply with the new minimum requirements.

  • It is the responsibility of each grower to keep track of their eligibility in this contest and inform a GVGO committee member when the levels have been achieved for verification prior to award.

  • Growers can only win this contest once.

  • The minimum levels in each category are listed as follows:​

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Previous Master Grower Winners

 

John Vincent

Fred Hain

Bob & Elaine MacKenzie

John Nieuwenhoff

Nathan & Jen Veitch

Eric Sundin

Jeff Warner

Norm Kyle

Phil & Jane Hunt

Todd Kline

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Chris Lyons

John Butler

Art Johnston

Bryan Mailey

Doug Court

Grey Montgomery

Rob Butler

Carter Black

Joel Jarvis

Harley Sproule

Jim Bryson

Kelsey Bryson

GVGO Member Achievement Awards

  • 1st Place Giant Pumpkin, $100

  • 2nd Place Giant Pumpkin, $75

  • 3rd Place Giant Pumpkin, $50

  • 1st Place Giant Squash, $50

  • 1st Place Long Gourd, $50

  • 1st Place Giant Watermelon, $50

  • 1st Place Field Pumpkin, $50

  • 1st Place Bushel Gourd, $50

  • 1st Place Marrow, $50

  • 1st Place Tall Corn, $50

  • 1st Place Tall Sunflower, $50

  • 1st Place Sunflower Face, $50

  • 1st Place Giant Cabbage, $50​

© 2026 Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario

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