Ag in Halloween

Soil

100

This dark soil layer is full of decayed organic matter - it's what makes soil rich and fertile

Humus, or organic layer

200

This nutrient, N, makes plants dark green and promotes leaf growth

Nitrogen

300

Soil pH tells how acidic or basic soil is - most crops prefer this range

6 - 7 

400

This microorganism haunts soil and helps convert nitrogen into a usable form for plants

Bacteria

500

This soil type drains fastest - a problem for crops that need moisture

Sandy soil

Animals

100

This nocturnal animal helps control insects and might be seen swooping around barns at night

Bat

200

This predator is known for raiding chicken coops. It's sneaky, red, and has a bad reputation for "swiping"

Fox

300

This animal's eyes reflect red in the dark, giving it a spooky appearance at night

Cat, goat, cow

400

Farmers once blamed this insect swarm for haunting their crops during the Dust Bowl

Grasshoppers, locust

500

These spooky farm noises at night - like hooting and rustling - are often caused by this nocturnal bird

Owl

Food

100

This "Frankenfood" nickname is often used for crops made using biotechnology

GMOs (genetically modified organisms)

200

The orange color in pumpkins comes from this nutrient that helps your eyesight

vitamin A

300

This popular fall drink often served warm, starts as apples grown in orchards

Apple cider

400

Most Halloween candy starts with this crop that provides sugar

Sugarcane

500

Gelatin used in gummy worms and marshmallows is made using this animal byproduct made from bones

Collagen

Movies

100

The scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz wished for this

Brain

200

In Chicken Run, the hens try to escape from a scary lady before being turned into this food product

Chicken pot pie

300

This Stephen King story features children who live in a haunted cornfield

Children of the Corn

400

The movie Cars features this large machine, seen in many scary farm scenes, and is used to harvest corn and grains

Combine harvester

500

In the Nightmare before Christmas, the main character Jack is known as the...

Pumpkin King

Misc

100

This orange fruit is grown on vines and carved into. It is grown in every state except Alaska

pumpkin

200

Farmers used to believe scarecrows could keep away these crop stealing pests

Crows

300

These small, colorful fruits are often used in Halloween decorations but aren't usually eaten

Gourds

400

Farmers often find these in their fields, believed to be designed by aliens!

Crop circles

500

This tiny parasite can attach to livestock and is sometimes called a "bloodsucker"

Tick