This Will Totally Ruin Thanksgiving For Everyone

Love your pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving? Well too bad say crop experts in Illinois, because there might not be enough of the orange gourds to go around. Mohammed Babadoost, a University of Illinois Professor of plant pathology and plant protection, told the Associated Press that he would advise customers not not wait until November to buy their pumpkins. Rather, you should scoop one up as soon as you spot it in the store. What's causing this shortage? This year's crop was washed out due to record rainfall in the region this past June. Libby's, one of the major pumpkin-product manufacturers, is reporting that yields could be off by up to one-third. (P.S. Did you know that 90% of the nation’s pumpkins come from Illinois? Now you do!) Libby’s corporate and brand affairs director, Roz O'Hearn, is telling everyone not to freak the hell out, but the internet is refusing to accept her assurances. According to O'Hearn, we'll be fine for the holidays. But once the company ships the rest of the 2015 stash, that will be it until next year's harvest. Okay, that sounds...vaguely dire. I am skipping my lunch break today and running to the store to buy a bunch of canned pumpkin. If this all turns out to be nothing, I’ll have extra pumpkin on hand for stuff like this. If this turns into a real shortage, I’ll make a fortune on e-Bay.