Smaaz’s Blog

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 23rd, 2006

Enjoy the time with your family and friends. And here are some useful ;)Thanksgiving facts form the U.S. Census Bureau:

256 million
The preliminary estimate of the number of turkeys raised in the United States in 2005. That’s down 3% from 2004. The turkeys produced in 2004 weighed 7.3 billion pounds altogether and were valued at $3.1 billion.

44.5 million
The preliminary estimate of the number of turkeys Minnesota expects to raise in 2005. The Gopher State is tops in turkey production. It is followed by North Carolina (36.0 million), Arkansas (29.0 million), Virginia (21.0 million), Missouri (20.5 million), and California (15.1 million). These six states together will probably account for about 65% of U. S. turkeys produced in 2005.

649 million pounds
The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2005, up 5% from 2004. Wisconsin is expected to lead all states in the production of cranberries, with 367 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts (170 million). Oregon, New Jersey, and Washington are also expected to have substantial production, ranging from 18 million to 52 million pounds.

1.6 billion pounds
The total weight of sweet potatoes—another popular Thanksgiving side dish—produced in the United States in 2004. North Carolina (688 million pounds) produced more sweet potatoes than any other state. It was followed by California (339 million pounds). Mississippi and Louisiana also produced large amounts: at least 200 million pounds each.

998 million pounds
Total pumpkin production of major pumpkin-producing states in 2004. Illinois, with a production of 457 million pounds, led the country. Pumpkin patches in California, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York also produced a lot of pumpkins: each state produced at least 70 million pounds worth. The value of all the pumpkins produced by these states was about $100 million.

2.1 billion bushels
The total volume of wheat—the essential ingredient of bread, rolls and pies—produced in the United States in 2005. Kansas and North Dakota combined accounted for about 33% of the nation’s wheat production.

Entry Filed under: General