It’s pumpkin season around the nation, and they’re as popular as ever. That’s coming up on This Land of ours.
It seems pumpkins are everywhere this time of year and most of those pumpkins make quite the trip to get to those stores, patches, and porches. The USDA’s Economic Research Service says about 40 percent of pumpkin acres are harvested in only six states.
Illinois is consistently the nation’s largest pumpkin producer by acreage and weight. In 2021, Illinois produced 652 million pounds, more than a quarter of total U.S. pumpkin production and more than the next five states combined. While a lot of pumpkins are used for decoration, Illinois production is primarily for pie, which is unique from every other state, where the pumpkins are primarily for decoration.
In 2021, Indiana produced 181 million pounds of pumpkins, California grew 157 million pounds, Texas grew 108 million pounds, Michigan grew 89 million pounds, and Virginia grew 82 million pounds. Despite those being the major producers, each of the 50 states does grow some pumpkins.
Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land of Ours program here.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.