Fall wouldn’t be the same without pumpkin pies, pumpkin carving or pumpkin picking at a local patch. In fact, pumpkins are so popular in the fall that many North Carolina farmers plant between 1 and 5 acres of the crop as a source of additional income each year. Can’t get enough of the favorite fall fruit? Check out a few of these fun pumpkin facts.
North Carolina produces nearly 80 million pounds of pumpkins per year.
In 2023, 4,400 acres of pumpkins were planted in North Carolina.
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More than $18.2 million worth of pumpkins were grown and sold in North Carolina in 2023.
A pumpkin is technically a fruit because it comes from a flower and contains seeds.
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There are more than 150 varieties of pumpkins in the world today.
Depending on the variety, typical pumpkin yield falls between 800 and 1,200 harvested pumpkins per acre.
3,000-4,000 acres of pumpkins are grown in North Carolina each year.
Varieties of pumpkins grown in North Carolina include Mammoth Gold, Autumn Gold, Happy Jack, Big Max, Atlantic Giant, Prizewinner and Sugar Pie.
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Large growers in North Carolina plant between 10 and 100 acres of pumpkins and count on this crop as a portion of their annual income.
Pumpkins can range in weight from less than a pound to more than 1,100 pounds.
Pumpkins are a good source of vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamins A and B and potassium.
An average-size pumpkin contains about a cup of seeds, which can be roasted and eaten as a nutritious snack.
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Pumpkins originated in America, and Native American tribes grew pumpkins for food long before Europeans arrived.
Sources: ncagr.gov/markets/commodit/horticul/pumpkin, farmersalmanac.com/little-known-pumpkin-facts-2186, Farm Flavor, NASS
