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Let’s be honest, fall isn’t complete without pumpkins. Around this time of year, those bright globes of orange, green, blue, red, pink, tan, and white begin to decorate porches, and kids begin thinking about the perfect jack-o’-lantern designs to carve for trick or treat night. Of course, we can’t forget about our favorite flavor — pumpkin spice — which sadly contains very little real pumpkin, but is delicious nonetheless. There is no denying it; pumpkins are a symbol of the season. But behind the fall displays and tasty coffees is the real farm work, and Ohio plays an important role in putting pumpkins on porches, tables, and store shelves.

Nationally, Illinois leads the way in pumpkin production, producing 690 million pounds of pumpkins, especially the kind used for canning and pie filling. Illinois is known as the Pumpkin Capital of the World, and Morton, Illinois is a major hub for pumpkin processing and canning.

Ohio, though, holds its own — ranking among the top pumpkin-producing states at 67.5 million pounds. Unlike Illinois, much of Ohio’s pumpkin crop ends up at farm markets, roadside stands and patches where families pick out carving pumpkins and pie pumpkins by hand.

Here in Trumbull County, pumpkin season means more than just decorations. Farms like Deb’s Pumpkin Patch in Mecca, Kuchta Farms in Braceville, Sherbourne’s Pumpkins in Southington, Sisco Farms in Niles, Innocenzi Pumpkins in Kinsman, Hartford Orchards in Hartford and countless other small family farm stands offer the bounty of the harvest. Many of these locations offer additional family fun like riding out to the pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkin, getting lost in a corn maze or delicious fall treats. The end result is heading home with a full tummy and a plethora of pumpkins, gourds and mums to create the perfect fall scene.

Behind the fun, pumpkins are serious business. In good years, Ohio farmers harvest 15,000 to 18,000 pounds of pumpkins per acre. Fields are carefully planned, with wide rows between 4 to 12 feet apart to give vines room to spread. Farmers use honeybees to set fruit, relying on apiarists to bring their bee hives to the fields for several days at a time, while the farmers keep an eye on pests and diseases that can ruin a crop.

Pumpkins are more than just delicious decorations. The large, thin-walled kinds are perfect for carving, while smaller “sugar pumpkins” are prized for baking pies and breads. Specialty pumpkins — white, warty or heirloom shapes–are in demand for decorative displays. And when Halloween ends, many leftover pumpkins are composted or fed to livestock so they don’t go to waste.

Trumbull County may not grow as many pumpkins as some other Ohio counties, but local farms keep the tradition alive. Whether it’s carving, baking or decorating, pumpkins connect our community to the land and to one another. This fall, when you carve a jack-o’-lantern or bake a pumpkin pie, you’re part of a story that stretches from the field to the porch to the table–a story written right here in Trumbull County.

Submitted by Christen Clemson, a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau who completed her Ph.D. at the Pennsylvania State University. She and her family farm in Mecca Township.

OFBF Mission: Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.