October 31, 2112
Pumpkin Data
Halloween is here, a time to dress up in costumes, carve pumpkins, and go trick or treating. Did you know that farmers grow more than 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins each year? That’s more than twice the weight of the Empire State Building!
In this issue of Math in the News, we take a look at pumpkin production compared to sales.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Vegetables 2011 Summary (January 2012).
Watch This!
Want to see how big pumpkin production really is in the U.S.? Watch this short video to explore how pumpkins are grown, sold, and celebrated across the country.
U.S. Pumpkin Production
In the United States, six states are responsible for the vast majority of pumpkin production. These are:
- Illinois
- California
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Texas
- Pennsylvania
Pumpkin Production and Sales
The table shows pumpkin production versus pumpkin sales in five states. While Illinois produces the most pumpkins, its sales are relatively small compared to other states. Why?
It turns out most of the pumpkins grown in Illinois are for canning, not carving. Many of the canned pumpkin products you find in the grocery store come from Illinois!
How Much Is Lost?
We can calculate the difference between how much is grown and how much is sold. This will help us figure out what percentage of pumpkin production is lost, based on the sales data.
Each year, the U.S. produces about 700 million pounds of pumpkins, but only about 200 million pounds are sold. That means 500 million pounds are not sold and may go to waste. What’s the percentage loss?
We can use this formula:
Percentage Loss
= (Amount Lost ÷ Amount Grown) × 100
= (500,000,000 ÷ 700,000,000) × 100
= 71.4%
This means over 70% of the pumpkins grown are not sold. Why might that be?
Let's Look at the Data
The table below shows the number of acres planted with pumpkins in selected U.S. states from 2009 to 2011.
| State | 2009 (acres) |
2010 (acres) |
2011 (acres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5,100 | 6,200 | 5,900 |
| Illinois | 14,300 | 15,400 | 17,400 |
| Michigan | 7,400 | 7,400 | 7,200 |
| New York | 6,600 | 7,100 | 6,800 |
| Ohio | 7,600 | 7,300 | 7,100 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,700 | 6,800 | 6,900 |
| United States | 47,700 | 50,200 | 51,300 |
Which state reserves the most land for pumpkins each year?
Which state reserves the least amount of land for pumpkins each year?
This table shows the average price per hundredweight (cwt) of pumpkins in each state over three years. One cwt equals 100 pounds.
| State | Price per cwt | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 (dollars) |
2010 (dollars) |
2011 (dollars) |
|
| California | 13.90 | 10.10 | 11.70 |
| Illinois | 3.47 | 3.67 | 4.21 |
| Michigan | 14.00 | 14.50 | 17.00 |
| New York | 29.00 | 24.00 | 34.10 |
| Ohio | 18.20 | 15.10 | 14.80 |
| Pennsylvania | 15.50 | 17.00 | 14.20 |
| United States | 11.00 | 11.00 | 10.60 |
Which state charges the most per cwt for pumpkins? Which state charges the least?
The table below continues the price per cwt data for a different group of states, highlighting regional price variations.
| State | Price per cwt | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 (dollars) |
2010 (dollars) |
2011 (dollars) |
|
| Arizona | 39.20 | 40.00 | 50.40 |
| California | 40.10 | 44.10 | 36.90 |
| New Jersey | 43.20 | 45.90 | 45.00 |
| Texas | 22.00 | 23.00 | 24.40 |
| Other States | 34.30 | 44.30 | 34.00 |
| United States | 39.50 | 42.70 | 40.50 |
This table shows the total dollar value of pumpkin production in each state from 2009 to 2011, measured in thousands of dollars.
| State | Value of Production | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 (1,000 dollars) |
2010 (1,000 dollars) |
2011 (1,000 dollars) |
|
| Arizona | 45,864 | 45,000 | 85,730 |
| California | 200,500 | 175,033 | 141,032 |
| New Jersey | 8,770 | 5,462 | 8,370 |
| Texas | 1,936 | 4,370 | 2,635 |
| Other States | 12,354 | 16,120 | 12,308 |
| United States | 269,424 | 245,985 | 250,075 |
Which state has the smallest percentage loss? Which has the largest? What might explain the difference?
Think About It
In some places, pumpkins that are not sold are turned into compost or animal feed. Some are left to rot in the field. What are some ideas for reducing the amount of pumpkin waste during Halloween season?