Illinois is one of the country’s leading agricultural states, including a top producer of soybeans, corn, and livestock. The state is the fifth-highest producing state for agricultural sales (behind California, Iowa, Texas, and Nebraska, and just ahead of Minnesota, Kansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Indiana), with 81% coming from crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, and forage, and 20% from livestock. What you might not know is that Illinois is also the top producer of pumpkins and horseradish in the U.S.
Pumpkins – Farmers in Illinois grow more pumpkins than anywhere else in the world. In fact, Illinois harvests more than twice as many pumpkin acres as the next five states combined, with production exceeding 634 million pounds in 2022, according to the University of Illinois. The next closest state, Indiana, grew just over 161 million pounds of pumpkins.
Unlike all other states, most Illinois pumpkins are used for pie filling and processed for other food uses. Illinois is home to two large pumpkin processing plants. The biggest is “Libby’s Pumpkin” in Morton, Illinois. The town calls itself the “Pumpkin Capital of the World” because 90% of the world’s canned pumpkin is processed at Libby’s factory. Opened in 1925, the factory has been exclusively processing pumpkins since 1970. Additionally, Seneca Foods has a processing plant in Princeville.
Pumpkins take about 120 days to grow from planting to harvest. Libby’s and Seneca Foods contract with farmers in their regions to grow processing pumpkins. Processing pumpkins are bred and selected to be canned. They have pale flesh, meatier insides and a more palatable flavor.
Typically, farmers plant seeds for processing pumpkins in April and May for a harvest that starts in late July and lasts through November. Farmers plant ornamental pumpkins in May and June for a harvest closer to the beginning of fall.
Horseradish – Illinois ranks No. 1 in the nation for horseradish production. In fact, Collinsville, Illinois, and the surrounding area is known as the “Horseradish Capital of the World” due to the large amount of horseradish farms and production facilities in Madison County. The county alone is said to be home to some 60% of the world’s horseradish root. Monroe and St. Clair counties are also top horseradish producers. Collinsville has also hosted the annual International Horseradish Festival since 1988.
According to J.R. Kelly Company, the largest US supplier of horseradish roots, the fertile soil in the area creates the ideal environment for the production of high-quality horseradish. Collinsville and the surrounding land are at the bottom of a bluff that used to be in the Mississippi River Basin. Collinsville is currently about 15 miles from downtown St. Louis, but the Mississippi River used to be much wider. This left the soil rich in potash (Potassium), a key nutrient for horseradish.
In addition to the river basin, St. Louis and surrounding areas used to have a strong coal mining and steel mill presence. These activities spread Sulfur through the air, eventually settling in the soil and providing another key nutrient for the growth of horseradish roots.
J.R. Kelly notes that horseradish has strong roots in European culture and cuisine. Settlers from Eastern and Central Europe that settled in Collinsville and the surrounding area began growing horseradish, and it was passed down from generation to generation. They also note that it’s not a crop that’s easily broken into.
Horseradish is very labor intensive and demands its own unique equipment and handling. From what I understand, a lot of horseradish farmers use modified potato machinery and other repurposed equipment. Planting, which starts as early as March, is done with selected rootstock from the previous harvest. Harvest starts in the fall, and some farmers dig on and off throughout the winter, so long as the ground isn’t frozen. (Sources: University of Illinois Extension, JR Kelly, STLtoday)
