By October 26th, we in a frenzy of pumpkin obsession. We cannot wait for the big November holiday for pumpkin pie. No siree, we need pumpkin ev-ery-thing! Bars, cookies, coffee, cheesecake, pasta and oatmeal. Pumpkin Chunkin’, pumpkin patches, festivals, bake-offs and television specials. Let’s not forget jack-o-lantern carving, too! This fruit grabs American’s attention.

As it should be. This squash is native to North America. The oldest evidence of pumpkin-related seeds dates back to somewhere between 7000 and 5500 BC to seeds found in Mexico.

The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which means “large melon” in Greek.

Within recent years, white pumpkins have become more popular in the United States. The United States produces 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins, with Illinois producing more than any other state.

A 2,145-pound pumping from Streator, Illinois holds the current North American record. Grown by Gene McMullen in 2015, the great pumpkin weighed in a few hundred pounds lighter than the current world record pumpkin from 2014. At 2,323-pounds, the giant pumpkin from Switzerland retains the world record prize.

Canned pumpkin may be recommended by veterinarians as a dietary supplement for dogs and cats that are experiencing certain digestive ailments.

Raw pumpkin can be fed to poultry as a supplement to their regular feed during the winter months to help maintain egg production.