Farm Progress America, October 31, 2023

Mike Pearson takes a look at the pumpkin industry and the economic driver it is for many states.

Pumpkins are grown in every state and that means the industry is dispersed through the country.

However, six states produce 40 percent of the country's pumpkins. They include: California, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

In 2022, Illinois led the way with 17,600 acres planted. They also produced three times as many as the number two producer: Indiana.

However, the pumpkins grown in Illinois are mainly for processing for food products like pumpkin pie filling.

According to the USDA, 95 percent of the pumpkins grown in the other 5 large pumpkin growing states are fresh.

The yields decreased in Illinois and California in 2022.

However, the yields increased in MIchigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania in 2022.

Pumpkins do have an economic significance in the six top pumpkins growing states which increased from 2020-2022 by 25 percent. In 2022, $134 million was made from pumpkin sales.

However, prices vary by the state. Pennsylvania garners $560 per ton from Pennsylvania grown pumpkins. Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and California garners $400 per ton.

And Illinois garners $70 per ton for processing pumpkins.

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness .