Fall decorating leads to pumpkin boom

CLEVELAND (AP) — The increasing popularity of fall decorating has brought Ohio’s pumpkin crop from relative obscurity to one of the state’s most valuable vegetable crops.

A below-average harvest last year still brought pumpkin growers nearly $23 million. A bumper crop in 2007 brought in almost $34 million, triple the value from three years before.

Last year, American consumers were expected to spend $1.58 billion on fall and Halloween decorations. The National Retail Federation says that’s nearly a 90 percent jump from 2005.

Agriculture reports shows that acres in Ohio devoted to pumpkins increased from about 1,100 in 1982 to 6,700 in 2008. Roughly seven of every eight pumpkins grown get carved into jack-o’-lanterns or put out on doorsteps for display.