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#Pumpkin Chunkin Blog Post 4, My trip to the World Championship Pumpkin Chunk, The People! #Agritourism,#Farm,#Ag,

FunTSAR — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:12:04 +0000

I think people are best summed up with pictures rather than words. I hear they had an estimated attendance of about 70,000 of them so you are bound to get some great shots!

The Chunkin for the Cure Cannon

I even snuck a quick ride in over the the Atlantic Shore

Cammo coat and a wedding dress!

Check out the Porta-Jon in the back of the pickup truck!

When you run out of Horse shoes

I just have a “wanna beee” beard! I’m the one on the right!

Move over “Corn Hole”, when in Rome…

Awesome

Improvised field games

Take corn cobs, black electricians tape, beer bottles, add corn field and friends!

Finally a good use for a Harley!

I had a Daiquiri for Breakfast and $$’s went to St. Judes!!

Above are just a few of the shots that made people watching at this event as much fun as watching the pumpkins fly!

The following video is way too long, sorry. Just drag and drop to the last 30 seconds or so to see the shot.

#Pumpkin Chunk, Blog post 3 of my trip to the World Championship Pumpkin Chunk, The Machines! #Agritourism, #farm

FunTSAR — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:51:05 +0000

Really BIG Iron!

Yea

Multi tank and stage cannons

What else can you say?

Big Air Cannons

You can visit their link I have with the pics above to get the history to how all this got started but as you can see it has just gotten way out of control. Just as it should, I hear there are some machines here that have around $400,000.00 invested in them. That was just the word on the street, uh er chunkin line, I can’t say for sure.

My little air cannon (pictured below) has about a 20 foot 8 inch diameter barrel. It was a grain leg drop tube used for filling bins back in the day when we were a grain storage facility. The tank I found at a propane supplier that was surplus material, and so goes much of the rest of the parts. I have a range of about 2500 feet, these big guys much more with a bigger pumpkin too!

Marlboro Madness Maize Valley Pumpkin Cannon

Low buck, safe, make a profit was my motivation these guys take it too a whole other level. I think Tim Allen would be proud! Again you can go to the Science Channels website or You Tube to see more but I will put a video clip here that I took at the event. It is sort of long and the shot takes place towards the end (1:45) as when you are filming them you never quite know when it is going to go off.

Next post, “The People” at the Chunk!

#PumpkinChunkin, Blog post 2, of my trip to the World Championship Pumpkin Chunk, #Agritourism,#farm

FunTSAR — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:08:59 +0000

Hanging out by their sound stage

Well this is post #2 of my journey to the Pumpkin Chunkin World Championships near Bridgeville DE. I am making several posts to show a spectators view of the chunk. I went as both a spectator and someone who built and owns a air cannon.

We have had ours for 5 seasons now and I am looking at expanding our fall events. One possible option is to create a chunk of our own on a smaller scale.

One thing about this event that struck me immediately is the sheer scale. It is just plain HUGE! From the Highway dept. signs you see coming in from miles away, the huge parking area and number of people working it, the walk to the grounds, big, just way big.

My first impression was that this event has a feel to me of a combination of events I am familiar with. If you are a Buckeye like me consider this. Combine the Farm Science Review, Hinneygate/Tailgate party, with a trip to the pumpkin patch and you begin to understand what I was walking into.

#PumpkinChunkin?, Yea out “Researching” new Ideas for Maize Valley! #Agritourism,#Farm,

FunTSAR — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:37:19 +0000

The Big Guns on the firing line

I have sooooo much to tell about this event I rode out to see that I can’t squeeze it into just one blog entry! I would try, but my man Corey over at The Karcher Group (TKG) who helps with all my web stuff says “take it easy, post less content per entry but do it more often if you have a lot to say”.

That being said I am going to roll this story out in stages. Here is the approach and long view of the grounds, (over 200 acres plus parking) then we will get to more details later. You can also go to the Science Channel Web site to learn more too.

As many of you know we have been throwin pumpkins at our place for a number of years now. The main reason I went to the “Mother of all Chunks” is to see how a event like this works, feels, and rolls.

My wife Chelle and I are going through a battle with breast cancer and I thought to start a similar event at Maize Valley on a smaller scale just might be a great way to raise funds, awareness and have fun doing so.

A special thanks goes out to John Huber president of the Pumpkin Chunkin association for helping me learn more about this great event.