Pumpkin Time

Pumpkin Time. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

First off class let’s look at whether the pumpkin is a vegetable or fruit. Technically speaking it is a fruit since it has seeds and is of course usually classified as a vegetable. Regardless, it is time for pumpkins and Veronica Nigh, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation says we should have plenty.

NIGH: The good news to report is we’re going to have a fairly good pumpkin crop this year. And a lot of folks are are reporting that it’s some of the better quality crop that they’ve had in years. Increased production and good quality pumpkins has come mainly from those farmers who are able to utilize irrigation.

While the drought has had a devastating effect on most crops, Nigh says that’s not the case for pumpkins.

NIGH: Pumpkins are actually one of the few crops that do pretty well in drought conditions. The rind of a pumpkin is incredibly susceptible to diseases that come from too much water. The lack of precipitation hasn’t been too bad for the pumpkin crop. And by using irrigation, most farmers are able to control when and how much water gets put on the crop and so that’s led to overall good quality.

She talks about what this year’s crop looks like.

NIGH: Overall in the U.S., ornamental and processing pumpkins combined average about 48,000 acres . Last year the U.S. planted over 51,000. Illinois is the largest producer of processing pumpkins. The top producing ornamental states are California, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.