CB02FF.19
November 13, 2002
Thanksgiving Day, 2002
270 million
The preliminary estimate of turkeys raised in the United States in 2002. That's
down 1 percent from 2001. In 2001, the turkeys produced weighed 7.2 billion
pounds altogether and were valued at $2.8 billion. <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>
Where Those Mounds of Food Come From
44.5 million
The number of turkeys North Carolina expects to raise in 2002. Another state
-- Minnesota -- has a nearly identical total (44.0 million birds), making
the Tar Heel and Gopher states the top two in turkey production. They are
followed by Arkansas (29.0 million), Missouri (24.0 million), Virginia (20.0
million), California (17.7 million), Indiana (13.0 million) and South Carolina
(10.0 million). These eight states are expected to account for 3 of every
4 turkeys produced in the United States in 2002. <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>
572 million pounds
The forecast weight of the cranberry production in the United States in 2002,
up 7 percent from 2001. Wisconsin leads all states in the production of cranberries,
with 291 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts (178 million), Oregon
(46 million), New Jersey (41 million) and Washington (17 million). <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>
1.4 billion pounds
The weight of sweet potatoes -- another popular Thanksgiving staple -- produced
in the United States in 2001. North Carolina (558 million pounds) produced
more than any other state. It was followed by Louisiana (319 million), California
(235 million) and Mississippi (224 million). <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>
831 million pounds
Total U.S. pumpkin production in 2001. Illinois, with a production of
319 million pounds, led the country. There also were big pumpkin patches in California
(with a production of 162 million lbs.), New York (134 million), Pennsylvania
(99 million), Ohio (59 million) and Michigan (58 million). Pumpkin pie is a popular
dessert at Thanksgiving. <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>
$12.0 million
The value of U.S. imports of live turkeys between January and August 2002 --
all from Canada. Our northern neighbors also accounted for all ($790,000)
of the cranberries the United States imported. When it came to sweet potatoes,
however, the Dominican Republic was the source of most ($2.4 million) of
the total imports ($2.6 million). During the period, the U.S. ran a $6.7
million trade deficit in live turkeys, but enjoyed a $6.5 million surplus
in cranberries and a $6.7 million surplus in the sweet potato trade. <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
13.6 pounds
Amount of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2000 -- no doubt a good
bit of it at Thanksgiving time. Per capita turkey consumption was virtually
the same as in 1990 (13.8 pounds), but 68 percent higher than in 1980 (8.1
pounds). On the other hand, per capita sweet potato consumption was 4.3 pounds,
down slightly from both 1990 (4.6 pounds) and 1980 (4.4 pounds). (These figures
gathered from the soon-to-be-released Statistical Abstract of the United
States 2002.)
The Price is Right
$1
Cost per pound in December 2001 of a frozen whole turkey. By comparison,
t-bone steak ran $7.31 per pound during the same period. (These figures gathered
from the soon-to-be-released Statistical Abstract of the United States 2002.)
Turkey, U.S.A.
3
Number of places nationwide named after the holiday's tasty gobbler. Census
2000 shows that Turkey, Texas, was the most populous, with 494 residents;
followed by Turkey Creek, La. (356); and Turkey, N.C. (262). There also are
11 townships around the country named "Turkey," three of them in Kansas. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
8
Number of places and townships in the U.S. of A. that are named "Cranberry" or
some variation of the name for the red, acid berry (e.g., Cranbury, N.J.). <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
20
Number of places in the United States named Plymouth, as in "Plymouth Rock," legendary
location of the first Thanksgiving. Plymouth, Minn., is the most populous,
with 65,894 residents in 2000; Plymouth, Mass., had 51,701. Speaking of Plymouth
Rock, there is a single township (but no places) in the United States named "Pilgrim." Located
in Dade County, Mo., its Census 2000 population was 135. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
The preceding facts come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. import and export trade reports, Census 2000 and the Statistical Abstract of the United States. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Previous 2002 Census Bureau Facts for Features: African American History Month (February), Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), Women's History Month (March), St. Patrick's Day (March 17), Census Bureau Centennial (March 6), Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May), Older Americans Month (May), Mother's Day (May 12), Father's Day (June 16), the Fourth of July, 12th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26), Back to School (August), Labor Day (Sept. 2), Grandparents Day (Sept. 8), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), Halloween (Oct. 31), American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November) and Veterans Day (Nov. 11). Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office: telephone: (301) 763-3030; fax: (301) 457-3670; or e-mail: <pio@census.gov>.
available free from Adobe.
