Latest News From Pumpkins

While we're in full fall mode, hit up social media for pumpkin-themed inspiration to incorporate eye-catching autumn displays across your produce department.

The USDA has issued a pest risk analysis for imports of Brazilian fresh pumpkin, squash and the hybrid tetsukabuto squash.

A naturopathic medical practitioner makes the case for cooking with fresh pumpkins — with actionable takeaways for produce professionals and consumers — for functional health, taste, utility and increasing sales.

Indiana’s summer dry weather has caused lower pumpkin yields for this year’s fall festival season.

Produce sales in the St. Louis, Mo., area are going strong, and distributors say they anticipate a solid fall-winter season. 

Volumes are steady and should remain this way with no interruptions through October, says Marco Serrano, sales rep for Fresh Farms.

Fall is all about the harvest bounty — bubbling hot jonathan apple pies adorned with sugary laced lattice tops, jack-o-lantern pumpkins, ornamental gourds, sweet fall grapes, hard squash and crunchy apples.

Grower-shippers anticipate a festive fall with gatherings galore – in other words, perfect conditions for pumpkins.

As the official start to autumn neared fall staples took more spots among the PMG top 20, but summer items and year-round favorites still held their own the week of Sept. 7.

While peaches maintained their No. 1 spot on PMG the week of Aug. 24, the rest of the top 20 saw some shuffling as fall items rejoined the list.

Although pumpkin harvest has started, it’s still “The Growing Season” at Frey Farms, Keenes, Ill.

The pumpkin season for Van Groningen & Sons, Manteca, Calif., is shaping up to be a record breaker, with a bumper crop of medium carving, heirlooms and pie-sized pumpkins.

Keenes, Il-based Frey Farms is rebranding its entire line from Frey Farms to Sarah’s Homegrown by Frey Farms. 

The fact that COVID-19 may well lead to the cancellation of favorite fall activities, including Halloween, doesn’t bother the vice president of sales and marketing for Keenes, Ill.-based Frey Farms in the least. 

At one point this spring, Jason Turek wasn’t sure if he’d have enough labor to plant any pumpkins. Then he worried that nobody would buy them. Then government stimulus money kicked in, and he began to relax. 

Michele Youngquist, president of Bay Baby Produce, Mount Vernon, Wash., is introducing a new gourd this year, the Squidmo. 

Harvard Business School did a case study on Sarah Frey’s negotiations with Walmart to sell melons.

After seven weeks in the top spot, pumpkins were finally dethroned the week of Oct. 28 as oranges moved to No. 1.

Pumpkins can be carved into scary jack-o-lanterns this time of the year, but there’s something scarier when it comes to imported pumpkins: invasive species.

In 2018, five states produced more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins—about 40% of total U.S. production, USDA reports.

Pumpkins maintained their six-week reign on Produce Market Guide last week and got even more love from the platform's users as pink pumpkins entered the top 20 at No. 12.

Growers of giant gourds will be on hand in Half Moon Bay, Calif., for what’s known as the Super Bowl of Weigh Offs as they compete for the heaviest pumpkin title.

Pumpkins and chili peppers held on to the top 2 spots on Produce Market Guide the week of Sept. 30, while apples climbed a couple of spots to the No. 3 slot.

As fall gets underway, pumpkins remain No. 1 on Produce Market Guide — no surprise there — while chili peppers regained the No. 2 spot the week of Sept. 23, and lettuce shot from No. 12 to No. 3.

Pumpkins maintained their reign as No. 1 on Produce Market Guide the week of Sept. 16, while apples shot from No. 9 the previous week up to No. 2.

Iconic fall crops such as pumpkins are doing well just before harvest, even though temperatures are still hovering in the 90s in several U.S. regions.

Pumpkins held on to the top spot on Produce Market Guide the week of Sept. 9, while chili peppers gained two places from the week before to land at No. 2.

This week on Produce Market Guide pumpkins are the top commodity, closely followed by pears.

Beginning in August, pumpkin harvest will get underway across North America and retailers will start incorporating pumpkins and ornamental squash into their retail sets in anticipation of an October sales peak.

Figs and yellow plums continued to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on Produce Market Guide the week of July 29, while okra and cucumbers traded places from the week before.

With just two shipping weekends before Halloween, there is an abundant amount of pumpkins to be sold.

With just two shipping weekends before Halloween, there is an abundant amount of pumpkins to be sold.

It’s officially pumpkin spice latte season — Dunkin’ Donuts starts serving the iconic fall drink Aug. 27, and Starbucks starts the next day — which means thoughts will be turning to pumpkins.

It’s officially pumpkin spice latte season — Dunkin’ Donuts starts serving the iconic fall drink Aug. 27, and Starbucks starts the next day — which means thoughts will be turning to pumpkins.

The obsession with pumpkin spice is now worth roughly $500,000 annually and its use is up tenfold since 2004. But, is peak pumpkin on the way?

The obsession with pumpkin spice is now worth roughly $500,000 annually and its use is up tenfold since 2004. But, is peak pumpkin on the way?

Carol Froese has beaten breast cancer, but she never has stopped fighting it.