Ag News: NASA-USGS-USDA Partnership & Top Pumpkin Producing State

**A joint mission by NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey and the USDA is helping farmers and ranchers maximize water efficiency.

Technology that aims to track water use across 17 western states went live on October 21st.

Called OpenET, the program provides satellite monitoring to measure evapotranspiration, which is the process by which water evaporates from land and emits from plants.

The goal is to improve water measurements to sustain crops.

**Pumpkins are a staple of fall traditions for many Americans who pick them, carve them into jack-o’-lanterns, or bake pumpkin desserts.

Although pumpkins are grown in many states, most of the production comes from ten states.

By acreage and by weight, Illinois is consistently the nation’s largest pumpkin producer.

In 2020, Texas led the nation in the VALUE of pumpkins produced at $25.9 million, followed by Pennsylvania, Illinois, and California.

**The nation’s average gas price increased 3.8 cents from a week ago to $3.36 per gallon.

The national average is up 17.1 cents from a month ago and $1.21 per gallon higher than a year ago.

But, “there may be some light at the end of the tunnel,” according to GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan, who says, “The sharp rise we’ve seen over the last three weeks should begin slowing down soon, barring another jump in the price of oil.