Pumpkin Marketing Guide

Pumpkins are native to North America, and Illinois, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan are the top U.S. pumpkin producers. In Missouri, pumpkins are a small-scale specialty crop. During 2007, 240 farms in Missouri harvested 1,430 pumpkin acres. Of those Missouri farms, 11 harvested pumpkins for processing, and 233 farms harvested pumpkins for fresh markets. Fresh market pumpkins are bright orange and have a strong handle. Processing pumpkins have a lighter color, more pleasing taste and fleshier interiors.

In the U.S., the fresh market is the largest pumpkin market. Processors used just 13.2 percent of total U.S. pumpkin production during 2007. The pumpkin processing market concentrates in Illinois, which grows more than 90 percent of pumpkins directed to canning uses. Nestle Libby’s and Seneca Foods both can pumpkin in Illinois.

Pumpkins

For many consumers, they associate pumpkins with nostalgia, which can make pumpkins feel less like a discretionary purchase. Within the fresh pumpkin market, growers have several options to reach buyers, including pick-your-own farms, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture efforts and farmers markets. Agritourism is another outreach channel. Producers can combine pumpkin sales with on-farm hayrides, corn mazes and other fall activities. Locating near a population center would improve access to customers. Wholesale arrangements with retailers are another option. Producers pack pumpkins in bulk bins or ship them loose in trailers to reach wholesale markets. Operating as a cooperative may help to satisfy the scale that some wholesale buyers might require.

In food, pumpkin or pumpkin-flavored products are gaining popularity. In 2012, pumpkin-flavored product sales grew 18.8 percent. Pumpkin or pumpkin flavor may be used in products such as bread, soup, beverages, pasta, cookies, pie, pancakes, dog food, donuts, ice cream, beer, tea and chocolate. Although multiple pumpkin-related products are available, a few product categories hold large shares of total sales. Those are pie filling, 42.7 percent; coffee, 11.2 percent; cream, 9.5 percent; baking mixes, 8 percent; beer, 7.7 percent; and baked bread, 5.6 percent. Recently, the fastest growing categories have been frozen sweet goods, cider, baked bread, yogurt, coffee creamers and snack cake. Some pumpkin-flavored products may not contain pumpkin, but the pumpkin pie spices used, such as cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves, may be recognized as pumpkin flavors.

Pumpkin marketing opportunities have a rather narrow potential sales timeline. Nielsen data suggest that grocery stores make 70 percent of their pumpkin-related product sales between September and November. Wholesale sales may begin in early September. Pumpkin seasons, markets and prices tend to depend on weather and geography.

During 2012, the U.S. farm pumpkin price averaged $0.12 per pound. At wholesale, prices depend on the pumpkin variety being sold. USDA reports that jack-o’-lantern pumpkin wholesale prices averaged $136.96 per 36-inch bin, but pie-type wholesale prices averaged $260.83 per 36-inch bin. Heirloom pumpkin wholesale prices averaged $161.67 per 24-inch bin. For miniatures, orange pumpkins tend to be more expensive than white pumpkins at $19 per half bushel and $16.69 per half bushel, respectively. Retail prices averaged $4.47 per pumpkin during 2012.

In addition to the pumpkins having value, male pumpkin blossoms can be fried after they’re sautéed in butter or covered in egg batter. Harvesting the blooms requires care, however, because removing too many may influence pumpkin yield later in the season.

Seeds

Before pumpkin producers grew pumpkins for their flesh, they grew pumpkins for the seeds. Otherwise known as pepitas, pumpkin seeds are becoming a notable protein source. However, pumpkin seeds are also good sources of fiber, healthy fats and plant sterols, which help to control cholesterol levels. Pumpkin seeds may be used as a recipe ingredient, or they may be a snack food. As a snack, pumpkin seeds can be seasoned with sweet, savory or spicy ingredients. In some cases, snack food marketers germinate the pumpkin seeds and then sell them. Pumpkin seeds can be a sunflower seed substitute, or they may be processed into pumpkin seed butter, which has a texture similar to peanut butter. Other possible pumpkin seed applications include granola, salads and rice dishes.

Currently, domestic pumpkin seed production is relatively small, and many companies source pumpkin seeds from abroad. Some pumpkin research has focused on improving pumpkin genetics for both the pumpkin flesh and the seeds, which would be roasted.

Oil

Pumpkin seed oil is an emerging product made by crushing pumpkin seeds from naked seeded or Styrian hull-less varieties, which yield seeds with thinner exterior coatings than traditional pumpkin seeds. The thinner coating makes crushing and oil extraction easier. Pumpkin seed oil originated in Styria, a region in Austria, and it’s a common addition to Austrian dishes. In the U.S., chefs and food enthusiasts have become interested in pumpkin seed oil. However, U.S. consumers may be most familiar with pumpkin seed oil as an ingredient in some gelatin capsules. The U.S. has two primary commercial pumpkin seed oil processors. They’re located in Wisconsin and New York.

Pumpkin seed oil has diverse potential sweet and savory applications. Those include sauces, soups and salad dressings. The food industry also regards pumpkin seed oil as a dipping or topping oil that could complement products such as bread, ice cream, baked goods, pasta, fish and corn on the cob. Producers interested in pursuing pumpkin seed oil production may consider contracting with other pumpkin growers to spread risk, or they may contract with an oil processor instead of extracting the oil themselves.

Sources

Benthin, Nancy. 2001. Storing Pumpkins. Washington State University. WSU Master Gardeners of Clark County, Vancouver, WA.

Bratsch, Anthony. 2009. Specialty Crop Profile: Pumpkins. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Blacksburg, VA.

Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. 2012. Organic Agriculture in Wisconsin 2012 Status Report. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

Hay River. 2014. Pumpkin Seed Oil. Hay River. Prairie Farm, WI.

Marcus, J.S. 2011. In the Culinary World, Savoring an Oil Boom. Wall Street Journal, New York, NY.

Marr, Charles, Terry Schaplowsky and Ted Carey. 2004. Pumpkins. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

Maynard, Micheline. 2013. How Starbucks Turned Pumpkin Spice Into A Marketing Bonanza. Forbes, New York, NY.

Ohio’s Country Journal. 2010. Ohio pumpkins could be seed of snack food industry. Ohio’s Country Journal, Columbus, OH.

Riberi, Andrea and Erin Erskine. 2013. Pumpkin Power! Nielsen. New York, NY.

Rose, Nick. 2011. Pumpkin seeds: a nutritional powerhouse. PCC Natural Markets, Seattle, WA.

Stiers, Joanie. 2013. Illinois: The Great Pumpkin State. Illinois Partners, Illinois.

Stoller-Conrad, Jessica. 2012. Why Americans Go Crazy for Pumpkin and Pumpkin-Flavored Stuff. NPR, Washington, DC.

Stony Brook. n.d. Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods. Geneva, NY.

Strang, John. 2010. Pumpkin. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, Lexington, KY.

Thornsbury, Suzanne and Hodan Farah Wells. 2013. Pumpkins: Background & Statistics. USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC.

Walker, Stephanie. 2011. Commercial Pumpkin Production for New Mexico. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM.

Watrous, Monica. 2014. Beyond whey: Emerging sources of protein. Baking Business, Kansas City, MO.

For More Information

Pumpkins (Agricultural Marketing Resource Center)