Story at a glance
- One state was responsible for producing the largest share of America’s pumpkins in 2020.
- Illinois harvested 41 percent of America’s pumpkins last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- The state had 15,900 acres dedicated to pumpkin cultivation.
One state was responsible for producing the largest share of America’s pumpkins in 2020.
Illinois harvested 41 percent of America’s pumpkins last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with 15,900 acres dedicated to pumpkin cultivation.
Of the pumpkins harvested, data further indicated that approximately 80 percent of pumpkin acres were used to cultivate numerous types of pumpkins that can be processed and utilized for pie filling or other similar cooking purposes.
Unlike your typical pumpkin used to craft jack-o-lanterns, the pumpkins used for canning tend to be pale and tannish in the exterior, with bright orange pulp inside.
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Why do pumpkins work so well as a top crop in Illinois? According to Mac Condill, owner of the Great Pumpkin Patch in Moultrie County, the state makes for almost perfect pumpkin-growing weather.
“Pumpkins like hot, dry weather, and typically in the Midwest, we will get that,” Condill told NBC News. “We also have very well-drained soil. And so that helps pumpkins — they don’t like wet feet.”
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