I absolutely love random and interesting facts, so as I was talking to Gail Sasse and her husband, I learned a little about pumpkin production! I bet you didn't know that an average acre can yield approximately 1,000 pumpkins.Gail has been growing pumpkins for the past three years, and says having a pumpkin patch is a great way to teach tourists about agriculture.
The Illinois couple farms 5,000 acres of row crops, but the pumpkins were a way for Gail to stay involved. She said their area was lacking a pumpkin patch, so she didn't have a problem with competition. As a part-time teacher, Gail got into the tourism side of the pumpkin industry starting with field trips.
Now they have a tour, complete with pumpkin and face painting. She says the majority of their customer base is found by word of mouth. Gail's Pumpkin Patch even has a cute business card...bright orange and in the shape of a pumpkin, of course!
Just another example of an opportunity for midwest growers!
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