Illinois can take credit for plenty of Starbucks’ pumpkin spice lattes. The state produces enough pumpkins to make nearly 8 billion pumpkin spice lattes, the most pumpkins in the U.S.
If you see a Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread, odds are 1-in-3 it was made using an Illinois pumpkin.
Illinois grows more pumpkins than any other state. It’s not even close: Illinois farmers produced about 485 million pounds of pumpkins in the most recent year of reporting. The state plays a crucial part in October’s pumpkin craze.
Pumpkin pies, pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin patches for families all start with the work of Illinois farmers. The state’s rich soil and central location make it the perfect hub for pumpkin production. While other states such as California, Indiana, Michigan and Virginia contribute millions of pounds, Illinois dominates the pumpkin patch.
Using fall’s favorite pumpkin goods to measure Illinois’ output tells the story. The state produces enough pumpkins for 7.8 billion pumpkin spice lattes based on Starbucks’ recipe. You could make 970 million loaves of pumpkin bread or 485 million pumpkin pies from the yearly output.
Morton, Illinois, is the “pumpkin capitol of the world” because it produces 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin. Illinois produces one-third of the nation’s pumpkins.
Even in a global pumpkin destination, Ackerman Family Farms in Morton is closing the agritourism part of the farm after 25 years of business, largely because of labor costs. Owner John Ackerman said it’s hard to carve out a profit with costs rising so quickly.
“Labor’s our single largest expense, and the minimum wage has almost doubled in the last six years,” Ackerman said. “Not that it’s wrong, but it affects us and other expenses.”
Illinois farmers fuel the country’s pumpkin craze. As families sip lattes and carve jack-o’-lanterns, it’s worth remembering the dedication and struggles that keep fall’s favorite traditions alive.
