URBANA, Ill. (RFD-TV) — Spooky season is here, sending consumers to local farms in search of the perfect pumpkin.
University of Illinois agricultural researcher Nathan Johanning says breeders develop wide varieties for specific purposes.
“There are three main groups. I say there’s some fourth and fifth that go into this. If you look at the actual scientific groupings, the genus and species of cucurbits, which is the family all of our pumpkins are in, you have some different families in there. Our traditional jack-o’-lanterns are Cucurbita pepo. That’s the genus and species for them. The orange jack-o’-lanterns; there are also other varieties and variations within that family.”
Johanning says some smaller, pie-sized pumpkins also fall within that group.
President Walter Schweitzer says listening to farmers and ranchers will be key moving forward.
October 26, 2026 04:00 PM
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USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) says a processing error affected corn data for Kansas and Nebraska in its September report.
October 26, 2026 02:23 PM
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South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal says conditions differ across the state, but producers remain focused on finishing harvest, managing their finances, and preparing for the next growing season.
October 26, 2026 02:00 PM
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Rising freight and diesel costs are making it harder to move hay between regions.
October 26, 2026 01:30 PM
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USDA says the FIELDS program will fund 22 projects across 16 states in an effort to boost fertilizer supply.
October 26, 2026 01:00 PM
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The special provision giving producers the higher of ARC or PLC for 2025 will not continue next year.
October 26, 2026 11:31 AM
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