Tis the season for pumpkin spice and it seems like companies have turned almost anything into a pumpkin spice product including Blue Diamond Pumpkin Spice Almonds, Pumpkin Spice Twinkies, PEEP’s Pumpkin Spice Latte, Native Pumpkin Spiced Latte Deodorant, and possibly the item that kicked off the pumpkin spice/latte craze: the Starbuck Pumpkin spice latte. Those who know me know I am usually accompanied by a cup of coffee. But one thing you will never find me with is a pumpkin spice latte, which I’ve tried many times and unfortunately, I am not a fan of this crowd favorite. However, I love love love pumpkin bars and pumpkin pie. Many students are learning about pumpkins. I wanted to share a few of the facts they are learning:

Illinois Farmers grow more pumpkins than anywhere else in the world. In fact, they grow 90-95% of the pumpkins used for processing. Most of the processing takes place in Morton, Illinois, the Pumpkin Capital of the World. Did you know the largest pumpkin pie ever was baked on September 25, 2010, and weighed in at 3,699 pounds! It was 20 feet in diameter. The pie was made with 1,212 pounds of canned pumpkin, 233 dozen eggs, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 525 pounds of sugar, 7 pounds of salt, 14.5 pounds of cinnamon, and 3 pounds of pumpkin pie spice. If you are looking for a fun activity to do with your kids or classroom, I encourage you to try your hand at making “pumpkin pie in a bag”.

Pumpkin Pie-in-a-Bag

Early American settlers used to make pumpkin pie inside of the pumpkin shell. First, they sliced off the pumpkin’s top. Then they removed the seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices, and honey. It was baked in the hot ashes of a fireplace. It didn’t look like the kind of pie that you get at Thanksgiving, but it was still yummy. You can make your own unique pumpkin pie too, just follow this recipe. 

Items Needed: 

• Gallon Ziploc freezer bag 
• 2 2/3 cups cold milk 
• 2 packages (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix 
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
• Graham cracker crumbs 
• 25 small cups 
• Scissors 
• 1 can whipped topping 
• 25 spoons

Directions: 

• Combine the milk and instant pudding in the Ziploc bag. 
• Remove the air and zip it shut. 
• Squeeze and knead with hands until blended for 1 minute. 
• Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger. 
• Remove the air and zip it shut. 
• Squeeze and knead with hands for 2 minutes until blended. 
• Place 1/2 teaspoon of graham crackers in the bottom of small cups. 
• Cut the corner of the freezer bag and squeeze pie filling into cups. 
• Garnish with whipped topping. 

Add a spoon.

Farm Bureau members save on facility rentals: Don’t wait to book your event at the Carroll or Stephenson County Farm Bureau buildings. Rooms start as low as $100. Call the Farm Bureau of your choice for availability and to learn more about the rental process. Carroll County Farm Bureau 815-244-3001 or Stephenson County Farm Bureau at 815-232-3186.

Membership Value Program Business Spotlight: Brandon’s Hardware & Rental located at 145 West Railroad Street Lena, IL 61048 offer Farm Bureau members a 10% discount off any in-stock purchase. To learn more visit www.brandonshardwareillinois.com or call 815-821-2847.

New IDO grant encourages reduced tillage practices: The Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency have announced $67 million in funding for a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program, aimed at expanding no-till and strip-till practices across the state.

“No-till and strip till practices improve soil health, reduce erosion and runoff, and lower long-term input costs,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello II. “We appreciate the state and federal partnerships that bring grant funding to encourage conservation of Illinois’ fertile farmland.”

Applications open online at 8 a.m. Oct. 27 and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 31. A pre-enrollment period begins Oct. 15, allowing users to enter and validate their information on the CPRG Program Application website. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis by county, with a 3,000-acre cap per application. 

To qualify, applicants must commit to implementing no-till or strip-till practices for three consecutive years starting in fall 2025. Fields must follow the USDA-NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 329, which prohibits full-width soil disturbance between crop harvests. Acres currently enrolled in other conservation programs such as EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) or CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program) are not eligible.

Required application materials include:

• Contact information
• Farm, tract, field and CLU (Common Land Unit) numbers
• Field acreage for no-till or strip-till
• CCC-902 form
• FSA Subsidiary Report
• Producer Farm Data Report or proof of land control

Selected applicants will work with their local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to develop a three-year agreement, complete practice job sheets, map project boundaries, and conduct annual soil health assessments using the STAR (Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources) Program. The payment rate is $35 per acre each year, for three consecutive years, on the same field. Payments will be issued annually after planting and verification.

IDOA and SWCD staff will verify eligibility, assist with documentation, and manage payment processing. Applicants must consent to share their information for program administration and allow property access for verification. If there are remaining program funds after the first application per county is verified, the second application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application.

Program viability is subject to the availability of federal funds. For assistance, applicants can contact their local SWCD, or the IDOA Bureau of Land and Water Resources at 217-782-6297 or by email at [email protected]. Applicants can also access a how-to guide, bit.ly/3IBJaHc.