Here are a few facts you might want to ponder as you sit down to your Thanksgiving feast today:
271 million
Estimate of turkeys raised in the United States in 2008.
49 million
Estimate of turkeys Minnesota expects to raise in 2008. The Gopher State is tops in turkey production. It is followed by North Carolina (39 million), Arkansas (31 million), Virginia (21 million), Missouri (20 million) and Indiana (15.9 million). These six states together probably account for about two
thirds of U.S. turkeys produced in 2008.
689 million pounds
The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2008. Wisconsin was expected to lead all states in the production of cranberries.
1.8 billion pounds
The total weight of sweet potatoes produced by major sweet potato producing states in most recent year available. North Carolina (667 million pounds) produced the most.
1.1 billion pounds
Total of major pumpkin
producing states in most recent year available. Illinois led the country by producing 542 million pounds of the vined orange gourd.
69,760 tons
The 2008 contracted production of snap (green) beans in major snap (green) bean
producing states. Of this total, Wisconsin led all states.
Source: www.nass.usda.gov