HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

 

The first Thanksgiving in 1621 probably did not include turkey. Roasted goose and duck were most likely eaten.
About 272 million turkeys were raised in the United States in 2007.
About 45 million turkeys will be eaten this Thanksgiving.
Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri, and California raise more turkeys than any other states.
Michigan raises more organic turkeys than any other state. The state raised 56,729 organic turkeys in 2005.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird.
Tofurkey, the vegetarian turkey, was first sold in 1995.
It is estimated that 270,000 Tofurkeys will be sold over the 2007 holiday season.
Another name for cranberries is "bounce berries" because of the fact that they bounce. They bounce because they contain pockets of air.
The first commercial canned cranberry sauce was put on the market by the Cape Cod Cranberry Company in 1912.
690 million pounds of cranberries will be produced in the United States in 2007.
Wisconsin in the nation's #1 cranberry producer and is expected to produce 390 pounds this year. Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington also crank out millions of pounds of cranberries.
1 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in the U.S. in 2006.
Illinois is the nation's top pumpkin producer, growing an impressive 492 million pounds of pumpkins in 2006.
1.6 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were produced in 2006.
North Carolina, the nation's top sweet potato producer, produced 702 million pounds.
California ranks as the nation's second top sweet potato producer, producing 381 million pounds in 2006.
The average American consumes 4.5 pounds of sweet potatoes per year.
The average American consumes 13.1 pounds of turkey per year.
President Truman pardoned the first turkey in 1947. It has since become an annual White House tradition.