Hey, kids! Geeked up for tonight?
If you hit the streets as a trick-or-treater, you'll be one of more than 36 million who do. That's more than a tenth of America's population.
If you're worried there won't be enough places to stop, don't fret. The government's Census Bureau says you've got 108 million homes, apartments, condos, and other dwellings from which to choose.
Those places, nationally, offer candy made by 1,756 establishments that collectively employ 65,556 people. Halloween is the Super Bowl for an industry that feeds each American about 26 pounds of candy a year.
Now, a moment to reflect on something else: black rot. No, we're not talking about something that could end up in your mouth if you don't brush your teeth.
It's a fungus that has, at times, killed pumpkins and caused scattered shortages. This fall, Washington, the nation's capital, was running short on locally grown pumpkins.
Enter Ohio and, specifically, places like the Getz Brothers Farm south of Grand Rapids.
Ohio, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, was third in the nation in pumpkin production last year behind Illinois and California, with 1.33 million pounds produced. Michigan ranked fifth, with 854,000 pounds.
Ohio also had the distinction of producing the most valuable crop in 2005. The Buckeye State's pumpkins were worth a collective $26.1 million, the USDA said.
So it's little wonder other parts of the country looked to Ohio when fears of black rot emerged.
The Getz farm shipped out tons of pumpkins this year to fungus-infused markets, spokesman Kim Getz said. She said the farm is a partnership between her father-in-law, Bob Getz, and his brother, Frank Getz.
She equated pumpkins to Christmas trees: Some people just aren't happy buying them from a corner lot or grocery store. She finds that refreshing in our fast-paced society.
"Everybody is so interested in the basics and traditions of life. It kind of just takes you back," Ms. Getz said.
Pumpkins have been an integral part of Halloween for as long as anyone can recall.
Though Halloween's customs have evolved over the years, the event was first celebrated in America in 1921 in Anoka, Minn. It dates to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago.
First Published October 31, 2006, 10:57 a.m.
