Halloween Tidbits

Halloween, is fast approaching, and we thought that you might be interested in these statistics. 
• The total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin-producing states in 2008 was 1.1 billion pounds. Illinois led the country by producing 496 million pounds of the orange gourds. The value of all pumpkins produced by major pumpkin-producing states was $141 million.  Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp
• The per-capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2008 was 23.8 pounds.  While not all of this candy was consumed in October, Halloween is responsible for the lion’s share of the annual consumption.    Source: Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2008