I cannot believe it is fall already! One of my favorite things of fall is pumpkins and their various shapes, sizes, and colors. I enjoy seeing the array of carved pumpkins people display on their front porch. I delight in eating pumpkin pie, bread, and donuts. The spices and ³ avors that only come around this time of year are rather tasty.

Looking at all of the different types of pumpkins I have seen, I was curious about what makes them so unique. Did you know there are over 50 varieties of pumpkins? No wonder there are so many variations. I found it interesting that Michigan alone produces 79 million pounds of pumpkins each year which are valued at roughly $9.8 million. Michigan ranks 4th place in the nation for pumpkin production, that is a lot of pumpkins!

Pumpkins are not only decorative, they are also packed with many nutritional bene² ts including a hefty dose of beta-carotene and are low-carb and ² ber-² lled. My favorite way to enjoy eating the healthy pumpkin is in pie form. Lucky for me it just so happens to be one of the better choices, health wise, when choosing pie. If you are looking for a piece of pumpkin pie, you will have to stop in at the COA for lunch. We serve different flavors of pie every Wednesday so keep an eye on our menu toward the end of October for a slice of that healthy pumpkin pie.