Yesterday was the first day of Fall, and in welcoming in the season of pumpkin spice, apples, and falling leaves, here are some interesting Fall figures.
- The state of Illinois is the country's largest producer of pumpkins, growing about 634 million pounds of them each year.
- The largest pumpkin pie ever made weighed 3,699 pounds and had a diameter of 20 feet. It was created in New Bremen, Ohio in 2010.
- All 50 states produce apples. The largest growers are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California.
- The hard cider market generates about $1 billion in revenue in North America.
- 48 million bushels of gala apples are produced each year. That's the most popular variety of apples, followed by Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji.
- According to the National Wildlife Federation, 25% of people do not pick up fallen leaves from the ground.
- Thinking of going away the Fall? According to Expedia, the top destinations are Las Vegas, Cancun, and Paris.
- Why do we have two names for the season we've just entered? Autumn is derived from the Latin name for the season, autumnus, and dates back at least to the 1300s. People didn't start using fall for another 300 years, when poets began using the phrase “the fall of the leaves.” Nowadays, the difference is basically if you're speaking British English or American English. Brits generally prefer autumn, but Americans favor fall, which sounds more rustic and less formal.