MOM Tip: Pumpkin Shortage

from: Susan Fox
24/7 MOMS Family Life Editor

I don't know if you've heard about the "Great Pumpkin Shortage"??? in 2009 many pumpkin crops were apparently lost due to flooding fields, caused by too much rain and too little sun. Libby's, a Nestle company is the primary supplier of canned pumpkin in the US. Most of their supply is grown in Illinois. There is still concern about shortages of pumpkin this fall. Hopefully store shelves will fill up again after harvest later this fall.

I am reading stories about 16oz cans of pumpkin being sold on E-bay for as much as $30. Locally, here in the Seattle area, most stores are completely out. However I have been able to find a small amount of Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin on some store shelves. I bought a 15 oz. can at Safeway for $2.59. The same product, same size is being sold on Amazon for $5.99.

So if you are getting in the fall baking mood like I am, if you see pumpkin you might want to stock up. Let's hope for more supply coming by Thanksgiving!

Here is a link to an article run by the Washington Post concerning the shortage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/01/AR2010060100801.html