Just in time for fall, pumpkins have moved onto Virginia's list of top 20 agriculture commodities.
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service says pumpkin sales in Virginia reached an estimated $11 million in 2018. Wholesale pumpkins generated $10.3 million, while sales of pick-your-own pumpkins brought in an estimated $700,000.
In past years, many wholesale pumpkins were shipped to Virginia from Pennsylvania and the Midwest. But Virginia growers are catching up. In 2018, commercial pumpkins were grown on 3,500 acres of Virginia farmland.
Virginia Pumpkin Growers Association President Danny Cassell said growers typically sell to grocery stores or offer pick-your-own pumpkins. More pumpkins are grown in southwest Virginia than anywhere else, but there are growers throughout the state.
