Autumn’s Abundance: Autumn months critical to crop production across the U.S.
In addition to spring planting, fall harvest is arguably one of the busiest times of the year for farmers across the U.S.
After moåßnths of fertilizing, weeding and watering, shorter days and cooler temperatures give way to fully-ripened fruits, grains and vegetables, and growers are able to reap the rewards of their patience and hard work.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins have become an icon of autumn, and over the past two decades, U.S. pumpkin production has continued a steady upward trend, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS).
Used in everything from pies, spiced coffee drinks and as household decorations, pumpkins are now grown commercially in every state in the nation, although 75 percent of total production comes from the top 10 pumpkin-producing states.
In 2022, the top six states harvested 1.2 billion pounds of pumpkins, with Illinois producing 630 million pounds, Indiana with 160 million pounds, California with 120 million pounds, Michigan and Pennsylvania with 90 million pounds each and Virginia with 50 million pounds.
Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and New York round out the top 10 pumpkin-producing states.
According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC), pumpkins are an incredibly nutrient-dense crop and one cup of cooked pumpkin provides more than 200 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 20 percent of recommended vitamin C and more potassium than a banana.
As of 2020, the annual per capita use of pumpkin was 6.44 pounds per person, up from four pounds in the early 2000s.
Additionally, ERS notes the total value of pumpkin production in the U.S. increased from $107 million in 2020 to $135 million in 2022.
Apples
Baked in pies, brewed in cider and coated in caramel, apples are another fall harvest highlight, reaching peak maturity and flavor during autumn months.
The U.S. is the world’s third largest producer of apples, behind China and Turkey, and is expected to harvest 250 million bushels of apples in 2023-24, an increase of 1.5 percent from the year prior.
AgMRC explains the U.S. grows more than 200 varieties of apples, the most popular of which are Red Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, McIntosh, Rome, Cripps, Pink Lady and Empire.
“The U.S. has 5,000-plus apple producers who grow, on average, 240 million bushels of apples each year. These producers grow the apples on an approximated 322,000 acres of land,” AgMRC says.
According to the U.S. Apple Association, the top 10 apple-producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Oregon, Ohio and Idaho.
USDA ERS points out Washington has been the leading apple state in the nation since the early 1920s and currently produces over one-half of the nation’s domestic supply.
Additionally, AgMRC notes one in every three apples grown in the U.S. is exported. Top export markets include Mexico, Canada, India, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
Corn
The U.S. leads the world in corn production, consumption and exports.
In 2023-24, American farmers harvested nearly 350 million metric tons of corn – over one-third of the world supply.
The majority of U.S. corn production occurs in the Heartland region and is used domestically as the main ingredient in livestock feed and fuel for ethanol production, as well as processed into numerous food and industrial products like starch, various sweeteners and corn oil, to name a few.
The top 10 corn-producing states in the nation, in order, include Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Kansas, South Dakota, Ohio, Missouri and Wisconsin.
The U.S. is also the world’s largest corn exporter, exporting between 10 and 20 percent of its total production volume. In 2023, the U.S. exported $13 billion worth of corn to leading buyers Mexico, China, Japan and Columbia.
Grains
Fall is also a critical time of year for harvesting other grains and livestock feedstuff, such as wheat, barley and sorghum.
According to AgMRC, wheat is third in U.S. acres planted after corn and soybeans, and seven major classes of wheat are grown and marketed across the nation, each with a different end use.
In 2023, the U.S. produced nearly 1.81 billion bushels, valued at $14.6 billion, and in 2024-25 USDA expects growers to produce two billion bushels of wheat.
The leading producers of wheat in the U.S. are Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, Texas and Oklahoma.
Barley production is also trending upwards, with around 185 million bushels produced in 2023, up six percent from the year prior, according to the USDA. The average yield was 72.4 bushels per acre, an increase of 0.8 bushels per acre from the previous year, and acres harvested, at 2.56 million, were up four percent from 2022.
Barley is generally used in animal feed and to make alcoholic beverages like beer.
In 2023, Idaho produced 32.7 percent of the nation’s barley, followed by Montana at 26.9 percent and North Dakota at 21.9 percent.
Rounding out the top five barley-producing states are Wyoming and Colorado.
Sorghum is another major crop grown in the U.S. and harvested during autumn months, with the majority of U.S. production occurring across a swath of land stretching from South Dakota to southern Texas.
According to the National Sorghum Producers, 448 million bushels of sorghum were harvested on seven million acres at an average of 69 bushels per acre in 2021, with Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and South Dakota leading the charge.
Sorghum is often used domestically for animal feed or industrial uses, and in recent years the grain has been used increasingly in ethanol production. A natural sweetener, sorghum is also used to produce syrup.
Root vegetables
Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes and beets are also harvested in the fall when cooler temperatures allow them to develop full flavor. With long, stable shelf lives, root vegetables are easy to store and provide a vital source of nutrients throughout winter months.
According to AgMRC, the U.S. is the third largest producer of carrots in the world, accounting for 3.2 billion pounds of carrots in 2021. The state of California contributed 80 percent of this total.
Other leading states in the nation include Washington, Michigan, Texas, Florida, Colorado and Wisconsin.
As the sixth most consumed vegetable in the U.S., carrots are high in beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and dietary fiber. For centuries, carrots have been a popular cooking vegetable and snack food, and in 2020, average per capita consumption of carrots was around 7.71 pounds per person.
Additionally, the U.S. is the fourth largest producer of potatoes, averaging around 22.4 million tons of potatoes produced each year, a total value of $3.9 to $4.2 billion.
AgMRC notes potatoes are one of the leading vegetables in the U.S. and are considered the fourth most important food crop in the world.
The agency also notes Idaho and Washington produce more than one-half of the national’s annual supply.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service notes around 63 percent of potato sales go to processors to make French fries, potato chips, dehydrated potatoes and other potato products, while the remainder goes to the fresh market, is fed to farm animals or is re-used as seed tubers for growing the next season’s crop.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
