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I Got ‘Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, You Name It!’ NC All Up In Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Here's a look at North Carolina by the numbers when it comes to Thanksgiving and a few fun facts that you can share at the Thanksgiving table to impress your family! Even Shirley Caesar would be delighted to eat Thanksgiving in North Carolina!
Shirley Caesar Photo: Arnold Turner via Tennessean

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WFMY) -- When you ask your grandma what she’s cooking for Thanksgiving, “I got green beans, potatoes, and tomatoes.” But if you live in North Carolina, it’s “sweet potatoes, turkeys, chickens, squash.”

Related: The 2018 LIST of Triad Restaurants Open On Thanksgiving Day

Most likely when you get to grandma’s house you’ll consume on average about 4,500 calories when you dig into your Thanksgiving feast! After all, in North Carolina, you’re more likely to ask for extra servings of turkey, sweet potato casserole, and squash casserole.

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Here’s a look at North Carolina by the numbers when it comes to Thanksgiving and a few fun facts that you can share at the Thanksgiving table to impress your family!

Most facts from ncpoultry.org and ncsu agriculture

  1. Cranberry is a popular side dish and it’s also the name of a town in North Carolina! Cranberry is located in Avery County, N.C.
  2. There’s also a town named Turkey in North Carolina! Turkey is located in Sampson County in North Carolina.
  3. Poultry is the number one Agricultural Industry in North Carolina
  4. North Carolina ranks number two nationally in total turkey production
  5. More than 5,700 farm families produce poultry and eggs in North Carolina
  6. The poultry industry creates more than 126,933 jobs in the state
  7. The poultry industry’s economic impact for North Carolina is about $36.6 billion
  8. North Carolina is home to Butterball, the largest producer of turkey products in the country
  9. Butterball has a turkey hotline to answer all your turkey questions! It’s even open on Thanksgiving Day from 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Just call 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) or text 844-877-3456.
  10. North Carolina ranks number one in sweet potato production among all 50 states, according to the USDA Agricultural Statistics Service.
  11. North Carolina has maintained the number one in sweet potato production rating for the last 18 years.
  12. 2 Billion pounds of sweet potatoes was produced in North Carolina in 2017
  13. North Carolina has accounted for over half of the nation’s total sweet potatoes since 2014.
  14. North Carolina ranks eighth in production when it comes to both squash and watermelon
  15. The state grows 21 million pounds of squash and more than 144 million pounds of watermelon annually
  16. North Carolina ranks ninth nationally for cabbage production
  17. The state grows 70 million pounds of cabbage annually
  18. North Carolina ranks fourth in the nation for pumpkin production
  19. The state grows nearly 94 million pounds of pumpkins annually
  20. Alleghany County is a great place to find pumpkins!

It's a time honored tradition for many families after Thanksgiving to head to the North Carolina mountains to get a Christmas tree! Just so you know, the North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested.

Check It Out: WFMY News 2 Christmas Tree Guide: Real, Fake, Safety & More

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